On the eve of the opening match of the season at the Parc des Princes against Nimes, Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel spoke to the media at the traditional pre-match press conference:
THE SQUAD
It’s very simple: Ander Herrera is the only player that didn’t train today because he is unfortunately injured for the next few weeks. Neymar Jr and Presnel Kimpembe trained with the rest of the team, but Neymar Jr didn’t finish the session, so he won’t take part in tomorrow’s match. For Presnel, he has worked very hard on his rehabilitation, but we don’t want to rush things, we need to be patient and I don’t think he will be in the squad to take on Nîmes.
PRE-SEASON TRAINING
I am satisfied with the last few weeks. This summer, preseason was very different to last year because many of the squad were with us from the first day. This is my second season at the club, so obviously it’s easier to set things up. The squad knows what I want and I also know in what positions the players feel the most comfortable. During preseason, you could see how the team progressed from match to match, from Inter to Sydney and then Rennes. The challenge now is to keep progressing, to keep improving. We have trained well this week, with a lot of quality and the spirit has been good. We are ready to attack the championship tomorrow.
ALPHONSE AREOLA
I have confidence in Alphonse and he has a great opportunity now to show all his qualities, take his responsabilities. I am also very happy with Marcin Bulka, who is training very well and will be on the bench tomorrow.
CAVANI – MBAPPÉ
Obviously they can play together and play well. We have often used two attackers. But football is a very complex sport and its not just about attacking. You also have to think about balance and defence. Cavani and Mbappé will play together tomorrow against Nîmes, but with their profiles, there are many possibilities. Kylian can also play on the wing, so we have to find the best solution for the team, the right balance between attack and defence.
