On the eve of the Round 8 Ligue 1 match against Dijon this Saturday October 24 at the Parc des Princes, the Paris Saint-Germain coach answered questions from PSG TV and the media. Extracts.
SQUAD
"First of all, Marquinhos and Julian Draxler have trained. They were substitutes on Tuesday and it wasn't possible to start with them. Marco Verratti, Leandro Paredes, Mauro Icardi, Thilo Kehrer and Idrissa Gueye will miss the match against Dijon. Layvin Kurzawa and Angel Di Maria, who are suspended as well. There are doubts concerning Keylor Navas, Alessandro Florenzi and Jesé, even if they are not injured. We're also thinking about leaving Kylian Mbappé and Presnel Kimpembe on the bench because they have played too many matches. We don't want to take risks because it's not the time to do that. We'll talk with the physios, the doctors and the players."
MANCHESTER UNITED
"For me, the performance is always more important than the result. We lacked energy in the first half. After the break, we put more intensity into our play but lacked discipline and structure. It was an open game, and one we could have drawn or even won. At the end of the day, we lost it. Like after every match, we discussed it. We now have to prepare for the next game."
DIJON
"Friday's training session will be important because we're taking on a team that is very good in attacking transitions, as they play quickly with fast attacks. For a team like Dijon, it's the right time to beat us. They have prepared well for the game, will be determined, and will have nothing to lose against us. When you see the list of the players we have absent and take into account the fact the match is in between two Champions League games, it's the time for them to give it a go. We need to find the right mix, put in intensity and energy, be at 100%, create chances for ourselves and find answers. Everyone expects us to win and to dominate matches. But some players are coming back from injury, and others require rest. We need to be positive and confident."