(Reuters) – Paris St Germain striker Kylian Mbappe should be available against Nice in Ligue 1 on Friday after sitting out a friendly against Germany earlier this week, coach Luis Enrique said on Thursday.
PSG embark on a challenging run of games because after facing Nice, they will take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday and then host Olympique de Marseille in the league the next weekend.
Mbappe was an unused sub as France lost 2-1 in Germany on Tuesday and France manager Didier Deschamps said after the game that the striker had suffered a knee issue the day before in training.
“We will analyse him tomorrow to find out what is going on,” Luis Enrique told a press conference on Thursday.
“Yes, he was affected this week. We will discuss tomorrow to find out if he will be ready (for Nice). But I think he will.”
The Spanish coach said it was complicated to prepare the game after the international break as some of the players have not managed to get back into training yet.
“Today, we had the arrival of (midfielder Manuel) Ugarte and (defender) Marquinhos. However, we’ve been working together for two months, so they already know the instructions,” Luis Enrique said.
“Nice are a very hard-working team with a young coach, but with experience. They take a lot of risks. They don’t speculate about the result but are both brave and bold with and without the ball.”
A tribute will be paid to former PSG midfielder Marco Verratti on Friday at the Parc des Princes, after the 30-year-old signed with Qatari side Al-Arabi on Wednesday following 11 years at the Paris-based club.
“Verratti will be there before the match tomorrow, it will be an opportunity to pay tribute to him. It will be special, for him and for his family.”
PSG are second in Ligue 1 with eight points from four games, two points behind leaders AS Monaco and level with third-placed Marseille.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
