Paris Saint-Germain’s manager, Luis Enrique, has no plans to lighten the load for his players as they gear up for the World Cup, with his Ligue 1 side aiming to retain their Champions League title.
The French champions are set to clash with Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final next week, while the Spanish coach navigates a squad struggling with injuries this season.
Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz made his return after three months on the sidelines due to injury, making a substitute appearance in Sunday’s surprising 2-1 loss at home against Lyon.
However, Portuguese playmaker Vitinha will miss Saturday’s encounter against Angers.
PSG participated in the Club World Cup over the summer, reaching the final, which meant that their players had a limited break before the start of the current season, resulting in an exhausting schedule over the last 18 to 24 months.
When questioned about whether he would be considering his players with the World Cup on the horizon in June, Luis Enrique’s response was quite clear.
“I am the coach of Paris Saint-Germain; everything else is irrelevant to me,” stated the 55-year-old, who previously managed Spain during the 2022 World Cup.
“My focus is solely on managing the situation at Paris Saint-Germain. Everything else is perfectly obvious.”
Vitinha is dealing with a swollen heel that led to his early exit against Lyon.
Luis Enrique has noted that while Vitinha’s condition is improving, he is still training separately.
On a positive note, left-back Nuno Mendes has recovered from a thigh injury and is included in the squad for the match against Angers.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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