‘I’m a warrior’ – Emotional Presnel Kimpembe makes long-awaited return | OneFootball

Presnel Kimpembe (29) made his first appearance for almost two years as he came off the bench late on in a comfortable Paris Saint-Germain Coupe de France victory.

Kimpembe’s last professional match dated back to 26th February 2023. He suffered an injury against Lille OSC and subsequently was forced to undergo back-to-back surgeries on an achilles tendon injury. Since the second operation, undergone right at the end of 2023, he has been on the recovery trail.

The Frenchman has been included in previous matchday squads, including as far back as November 2024, however, he was yet to set foot on the pitch. That changed on Tuesday night as he came on during the last 10 minutes in PSG’s Coupe de France win over Le Mans (2-0).

‘I am a warrior’ – Kimpembe

Le Parisien revealed pre-match that – if conditions obliged – Kimpembe would make a much-anticipated appearance off the bench. With Les Parisiens leading 2-0 and in control against Le Mans, Luis Enrique saw it as the perfect occasion to bring the centre-back back into the fold.

“It has been a while since I experienced emotions like that. I am very happy to make my return and to be able to help the team. I am feeling good. It has been a long time. I am a warrior, a soldier, and I have a lot of emotion tonight. After two years away, it is mad,” he told broadcaster beIN Sport post-match.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle