PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has no intention of easing up on his players ahead of the 2026 World Cup as his Ligue 1 leaders look to defend their UEFA Champions League crown.
The French champions play Bayern Munich in their Champions League semi-final first leg match next week with the Spanish coach managing a squad which has been beset by injuries this season.
Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz made his comeback from three months out injured with a substitute appearance in Sunday’s shock 2-1 defeat at home to Lyon, AFP reported.
But Portuguese playmaker Vitinha is unavailable for Saturday’s trip to Angers.
PSG played in the Club World Cup in the summer, reaching the final, meaning their players had only a short break before the season began and have played a lot of football in the last 18 months to two years.
When asked about whether he would manage his players with an eye on the World Cup, which begins in June, Luis Enrique was dismissive.
“I’m the Paris Saint-Germain coach, as for the rest, I couldn’t care less,” said the 55-year-old, who coached Spain at the 2022 World Cup finals.
“I’m not interested in that. What I have to manage is the situation at Paris Saint-Germain. Everything else is very clear.”
Vitinha is suffering from a swollen heel, which forced him off against Lyon.
Luis Enrique said that Vitinha’s heel was improving but that he was still training on his own.
Meanwhile, left-back Nuno Mendes has recovered from a thigh problem and is part of the squad to face Angers.
