Thomas Tuchel: Kylian Mbappe can’t play every game

Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel said he had to rest his star men as Strasbourg stopped his team from sealing the Ligue 1 title on...

Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel said he had to rest his star men as Strasbourg stopped his team from sealing the Ligue 1 title on Sunday.
Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria were left out, with Kylian Mbappe named on the bench as a 2-2 draw kept the league crown out of PSG’s hands for now.
Tuchel sent on Mbappe after an hour of the game at Parc des Princes in a bid to grab victory.
But an astonishing late miss from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting following Thilo Kehrer’s equaliser denied them victory.

Tuchel reacted tetchily when asked on Canal+ about not starting with Mbappe, saying: “I make a mistake and I am asked if I regret not having started Kylian. I explained it twice, three times, 100 times before the match.”
Speaking to L’Equipe, he said: “I don’t like playing without Neymar, Edi, Di Maria, all the players who can make a difference.

“But it was necessary. Kylian felt something in his muscles over the last three games. It’s not always possible to play him.”

Of Choupo-Moting’s miss, when he stopped Christopher Nkunku’s trickling shot on the line as he tried to get the final touch, Tuchel added: “I think he’s lacking confidence. He’s not here to start every game but he is at the moment because we have a lot of injuries.


“It’s not his role. He’s a great substitute.”
Choupo-Moting attempted to brush off the incident which came as he tried to claim his second goal of the night.

“We are a team, a family and a team,” he said. “They know I did not do it on purpose.”
Of the whistles from the home crowd, he added: “No, it does not affect me. I did not pay attention.
“It is normal that there are people who are disappointed. I always give everything.
“I was happy to score the first goal. But, unfortunately, there are actions like that. Those who know football know that it happens.”