PSG sits second in Ligue 1 due to injuries, but manager Luis Enrique’s controversial preference for academy youngsters over Barcola and Ramos has caused fan frustration ahead of a critical clash with in-form Rennes.
According to a report from PSG Post, Paris Saint-Germain is looking to use this weekend’s home game against Rennes as an opportunity to recover from a “difficult defeat at Monaco on Saturday,” a result that currently leaves them “languishing in second place” in the Ligue 1 table, a point behind RC Lens.
The report suggests that while the club’s poor form is partially due to being “ravaged by injuries,” some frustration is being directed toward manager Luis Enrique’s attacking selection strategy.
The Catalan coach is noted for discarding attackers such as Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos, who have received increasingly limited minutes, in favour of academy starlets like Senny Mayulu, Ibrahim Mbaye, and Quentin Ndjantou.
While the use of the academy is “fantastic,” it is felt that these players are “perhaps a little undercooked” for physical Ligue 1 games. Mayulu, who has “shone the most of the three” and scored vital goals, was “fairly indifferent” in the reverse against Monaco.
The report suggests that Ramos will feel “surplus to requirements” if a youngster consistently plays ahead of him.
The return of senior players Ousmane Dembélé and Desiré Doué to full fitness will create “even more competition” for attacking spots.
The upcoming match is considered a difficult test, as Rennes is described as “arguably the most in-form team in all of France,” having won their last four league games on the bounce. PSG’s current challengers, Lens, face an “easier game” against Nantes.