Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that his star-studded team is still under construction, on the eve of hosting Manchester City in their Group A match in Paris on Tuesday (September 28). Pochettino remained evasive about who is Paris Saint-Germain’s first-choice goalkeeper and whether Keylor Navas or new signing Gianluigi Donnarumma will start against City.
Up front, Pochettino hopes to have Lionel Messi back in attack as the Argentine shakes off a minor knee injury that sidelined him for two games. Messi’s last goal in the Champions League came for Barcelona against PSG at Parc des Princes in last season's last-16. He had a penalty saved in that game by Navas.
PSG opened their Champions League campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Club Brugge two weeks ago. Paris St Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has played down media reports of a spat between Kylian Mbappe and Neymar during their 2-0 Ligue 1 win over Montpellier at the weekend.
French media reported Mbappe was unhappy with Neymar for not passing the ball to him and that the France international was then seen voicing his displeasure to a team mate on the bench. “They’re fantastic guys. These things happen,” Pochettino told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League game against Manchester City.
“There are always things between top players. They’re competitors who want to win and help the team achieve. I have spoken to them individually. They may have also spoken to each other and there have been photos of them enjoying themselves in training.
“If there’s a small incident sometimes that can create a wave but it’s actually just talk.”
Pochettino had recently defended his decision to substitute forward Messi in their league win over Olympique Lyonnais, with the Argentine player appearing puzzled by the move. The manager said in a news conference on Monday that Messi was expected to play a part against City but would need time to adjust to life in Paris following his switch from Barcelona.
PSG drew their Group A opener 1-1 at Club Brugge while City beat RB Leipzig 6-3.
The UEFA Champions League 2021 match between PSG and Manchester City will take place on Tuesday (September 28).
The UEFA Champions League 2021 match between PSG and Manchester City will take place at 1230am IST.
The UEFA Champions League 2021 match between PSG and Manchester City will take place at the Parc de Princes stadium in Paris.
The UEFA Champions League 2021 match between PSG and Manchester City will be telecast live on Sony Ten 2 HD and Sony Six.
The live streaming of the UEFA Champions League 2021 match between PSG and Manchester City will be available on SonyLIV App and JioTv app.
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