Luis Enrique remained coy on whether Kylian Mbappe would be involved in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League last-16 second leg tie at Real Sociedad on Tuesday.
Mbappe has not played an entire match for his club in his last three appearances and was replaced at half-time during last Friday’s 0-0 draw with Monaco.
The Athletic reported in February Mbappe has told PSG he will depart at the end of the season, and Luis Enrique opted to replace the forward early for the second successive week as his side were held at the Stade Louis II.
Following the decision to take off Mbappe, Luis Enrique added post-match that PSG “need to get used to” playing without the 25-year-old and on Monday, the Spaniard did not confirm whether this would also apply in the Champions League: “Maybe yes, maybe not,” he said. “Who knows.”
Asked how he manages the noise around Mbappe and whether it affects the dressing room, he added: “I manage it in a very simple way. We have to accept that when you ask these types of questions, I am not going to give you the answer that you (journalists) want.”
Mbappe’s contract expires this summer, and The Athletic reported in February that he was leaning towards joining Real Madrid but influential members of his entourage have been left unconvinced by the Spanish club’s offer, which has been delaying the process.
Mbappe was taken off at half-time in PSG’s clash against Monaco (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Luis Enrique, meanwhile, said left-back Nuno Mendes “could start” in tomorrow’s encounter following his recovery from a hamstring injury.
The 21-year-old has featured off the bench in PSG’s last two matches and Luis Enrique has confirmed that the Portugal international will be assessed ahead of the game.
“It is a normal process with Nuno,” Luis Enrique added. “He is being assessed by fitness coaches, he played 20 minutes, 30 minutes, and Nuno could start tomorrow, but he won’t play whole game.
“That is something we are very pleased about because he is a brilliant player in his position with a strong attacking and defensive level. I’m very pleased for him because when a player is injured for many months, is very difficult. It would be great for us to have him competing at a high level.”
PSG travel to Spain with a two-goal advantage following the first leg but Luis Enrique, who claimed this game will be like a “final”, is wary of the prospect of a comeback. PSG did not win an away match in the group stage and have struggled on the road domestically, while their record at this stage of the competition has seen five exits over the past seven seasons.
“We all know the theory, but when you play away from home, there are many variants that influence matches,” he said. “A goal can change the whole atmosphere. We have to be ready for any difficult situation.
“Even though most fans will be with the home team, we want to enjoy the atmosphere and overcome it. We need to be solid and ambitious, and not leave anything to chance. I’ve repeated the aim for tomorrow. We want to win the game. We don’t just want to get through, we want to win. We want to ensure the game is not as difficult as it could be.”
(Aurelien Meunier – PSG/PSG via Getty Images)
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