Luis Enrique: "Monaco cause us a lot of problems" | OneFootball

The Paris Saint-Germain manager answered questions from PSG TV and the media ahead of his side’s game against AS Monaco, which kicks off at 21:05 CET tomorrow (Matchday 21 of Ligue 1) at the Parc des Princes.

ON THE TEAM'S FORM

'We're in good form, and we're trying to make it last for as long as possible. There are still several months left, and over the course of a season, there are obviously tougher moments, but I think that the team is ready to face trickier periods.'

ON THE CURRENT RUN OF GAMES

'You can plan things in advance, but at the end of the day, certain players can get ill, injured or suspended, so we try to manage each player's game time as well as possible. This run of games isn't a problem; if anything, it's an opportunity.

'Competition for places naturally keeps each player in shape. There's obviously an injury risk because football is a contact sport, but we manage the players in such a way as to avoid giving them excessive workloads.'

ON THE COMPETITION WITHIN THE SQUAD

'As a manager, I want to generate competition between the players. I want each of them to feel as though it's possible for them to play. They all need to be prepared; that's my aim.

'In Ligue 1, we've got a healthy lead at the top, but in the Coupe de France, that isn't possible because everything is decided in 90 minutes. The Champions League knockout games are only decided over two legs, too, which could influence my choices in order to optimise our chances of performing well in every competition.'

ON Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

'He obviously needs to adapt to a lot of new things, but we're not worried because we signed him for a long-term project. The team is in good form, so we're in no hurry.'

ON Ousmane Dembélé

'I know that Ousmane is a very open-minded lad. He's able to link up with his teammates, and he's in exceptional form, with personal bests in terms of stats. The idea with Ousmane is not to give him any limits. What we're looking to do with him is to make sure that he's always a key player, be it in terms of defending, in terms of passing... Being a leader for the team doesn't just come down to goals.'

ON MONACO

'I think that this game will be similar to our last two matches against them. Monaco are a well-organised and well-built side that has improved a lot without the ball. They occupy the pitch very well, with quality players in the middle and wing players who like to cut inside, and they don't do you any favours with the ball. They're a fellow title contender and a tough team that causes us a lot of problems. Our last few games against them have gone well for us, but tomorrow will be another difficult one.'

THE PRESSER IN FULL

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