Mauricio Pochettino: 'This match against Lille is a challenge'
The Paris Saint-Germain coach answered questions from PSG TV and the media in his pre-match press conference ahead of Friday's Ligue 1 meeting with Lille at the Parc des Princes (9pm CET).
LILLE
"Every match is a big challenge for us, but also for our opponents. For us, it's an opportunity to win, play well and continue our good momentum. It's a challenge because Lille are a very good team – strong, with good players. They're the reigning champions and deserve to be because they won after a season of 38 matches. We should have done better, but they deserved it. So it will be an important game and a tough one, but our goal is to win the three points."
SCHEDULE
"The technical, medical and performance staff are focused on finding the best way to recover. The key is how to go into the next game in perfect condition, ready to play. That's very important. We're doing the maximum so that every player recovers their energy. To do that, we're organising sessions so that they can recover and focus on the next match. We also use video so that they can prepare for it in the best way."
LIONEL MESSI
"Leo has trained well since the match against Marseille. He felt a slight muscle problem today and trained individually out of precaution, but we hope he'll be ready on Friday. Might we play him up front in place of Mbappé? Every player has their influence on how we play as a team and our attacking style. Kylian is very important to the team. Lionel can play a bit further forward, but we also have other possibilities and other players who can play in that role. Leo can play in any position."