Tuchel: 'Play high intensity'
On the eve of the home match against Strasbourg in Week 5 of Ligue 1, this Saturday, 14 September at the Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel spoke to the media at the traditional pre-match press conference:
SQUAD
"I'm very happy that the international break is finished and now we can concentrate on ourselves. We know our squad now, and now its time to concentrate on what we need to do. Thilo Kehrer, Julian Draxler, Kylian Mbappé and Edinson Cavani are all out of tomorrow's game. Edinson Cavani trained on Thursday, but we decided it was a little too soon. The South Americans are a little tired because they played in the USA and arrived here on Wednesday and Thursday. They are still a little jet-lagged, but they are used to it. We were able to give a day off to Colin Dagba, Thomas Meunier and Marco Verratti."
STRASBOURG
"We are ready to play with a high intensity game because Strasbourg play a very physical game and defend very deep. Playing just after an international break and just before a Champions League match is always difficult. We have to prepare well because Strasbourg play with five at the back and look to hit on the counterattack. We will have to find solutions. It's never easy. But it's a new season and we need to do what we can to score goals."
KEYLOR NAVAS
"If he doesn't get injured in training on Friday, he will play on Saturday. We had the chance to sign him this summer. We decided to do it because of his personality, his character and spirit. I have every confidence in him. I'm happy that the mercato is over and I can concentrate on my players. Thanks to the new players, we have more character and we can aim to have more consistency this term."
MAURO ICARDI
"He hasn't played for a long time and he needs to get his rhythm back. He is very happy to be here. He may play on Saturday. I'm not sure he can play the whole game. The competition for playing time with Cavani is very positive. I always think of my team as a whole and not just about competition in one position. They need to show they can play together. I need to respect the competition between them, but I want my players to to get along well. Mauro's main quality is his final touch to put the ball in the back of the net. He is always dangerous and doesn't need many chances to score."