Get French Football News
·30 March 2024
Get French Football News
·30 March 2024
Facing Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappé on a good day can be a difficult task for a team, but for Olympique de Marseille to face their eternal rivals with a host of players out injured feels like cruel timing for the club.
Marseille host PSG with a possible nine starting players unavailable for selection as the international break has seen a burgeoning injury crisis develop into a disaster. Jonathan Clauss, Bamo Meïte, Pape Gueye, Ismaïla Sarr, and Ulisses Garcia only added to an already overflowing infirmary.
Ahead of the game, Marseille were hoping that at least one of Leonardo Balerdi (25) or Samuel Gigot (30) would be able to recover as the team were reduced to only two starting defenders Chancel Mbemba (29) and Quentin Merlin (21).
Jean-Louis Gasset is well aware of the problem facing his club as they hope to turn around a two-match losing streak and get some revenge for the bruising 4-1 loss earlier in the season.
Speaking ahead of the match, the interim manager admitted that he had not developed a specific plan to counter Kylian Mbappé (25), “I don’t know if there is a possible plan against a player like that. I don’t know if he’s going to play, where he’s going to play, up front, on the left… We’ll adapt when the time comes.”
Gasset elaborated, “Getting into the head of an opposing coach and trying to understand what he is going to do is impossible.” He continues, “Luis Enrique has important games. A coach of his calibre is aiming for titles. The league is on course, but he still has the Coupe de France and, above all, a quarter-final in the Champions League.”