Speaking ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s fixture against Stade Rennais on Sunday, Luis Enrique has defended out-of-form talisman Kylian Mbappé (24).
Mbappé, despite a recent dip, remains Ligue 1’s top scorer this season with seven goals. However, he hasn’t registered in his last two Ligue 1 matches (although in the first, he came off before half-time after sustaining an ankle injury) and put in an anonymous performance against Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Speaking at the presentation of his latest France squad, Didier Deschamps admitted that Mbappé wasn’t “in his top form” but stopped short of vocalising any sort of worry regarding his captain.
In a pre-match press conference, transcribed by RMC Sport, Luis Enrique has also come to Mbappé’s defence. “I remember two or three weeks ago in this very from, I was asked if we were dependent on Mbappé because he’d scored seven or eight goals,” began the Spaniard.
Luis Enrique added, “Now, you’re asking me what Kylian has to do because he hasn’t scored in these past matches. One has to be a bit more normal. He is at 100%. Players are in different states throughout the season. He’s neither Superman when he scores eight goals, nor is he is normal player when he doesn’t score. It’s not black and white, there are always nuances. Kylian is a vital and determined player for us. He is a decisive player. My objective as his manager is to highlight his strengths and to hide his weaknesses.”
PSG face Rennes at Roazhon Park on Sunday and will be looking to bounce back after a patchy run of form. After a 0-0 draw against Clermont Foot last week, Les Parisiens lost 4-1 against Newcastle United in midweek.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
