‘As long as we can take advantage of Kylian Mbappé’ – Luis Enrique praises star

Kylian Mbappé’s (25) status in the Paris Saint-Germain team has taken a knock since the 15th of February when it was first reported that he had informed the club of his decision to leave at the end of the season.

In the four Ligue 1 games that followed, Mbappé found himself either dropped to the bench or substituted early as Luis Enrique warned that they had to “Get used to playing without him.” Only the Champions League and the Coupe de France served as a reprieve and a return to his former status as an untouchable presence within the starting lineup.

However, last night against Montpellier HSC, there was a taste of what had come before as Mbappé both started and finished a Ligue 1 game. The result was a spectacular performance that saw him demolish a spirited home side 6-2, with the winger recording his third hattrick of the season.

Luis Enrique was glowing in his praise, after Les Parisiens recorded their first league victory in three games, “We have shown that we want to win the Championship.”

On the topic of Mbappé, the manager was warm but again pointed to an uncertain future, “Surprise surprise. He delivered another exceptional match, as usual. As long as we can take advantage of him, so much the better.”

However, any suggestion that this performance might return Mbappé’s star privileges was tempered somewhat with the statement, “We’ve been on the same track for two months, we’re performing very well regardless of the players who played.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland