Ibrahimovic not fit to face Lorient, confirms Blanc
Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc has confirmed Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not fit enough to return against Lorient on Saturday.
It had been hoped that the Sweden star - who has been sidelined since late September with a heel problem - could be ready to make the matchday squad for the Ligue 1 clash this weekend.Blanc, however, does not feel the striker has fully recovered - though he says the signs in training are encouraging.
"He is much better, not enough to be in the group tomorrow, but there are some positive signs," the coach told reporters."He wants to be back. All injured players have a fear of when they will return - that is normal.
"This was longer than expected. I'm waiting to see if the good signs are confirmed. He must be careful in his training, even if he has above-average physical characteristics."
Blanc has backed Ezequiel Lavezzi to become a key player in Ibrahimovic's continued absence, particularly after his performance against Bordeaux."This is a week of three matches, all important. We will think about how to manage these three matches," he continued.
"Lavezzi can score goals. I was very satisfied to see him score against Bordeaux. He had physical problems. His return from the World Cup was complicated. He starts his season now."The return of injured players enables us to get better and we are on the right path. A post-World Cup year is always difficult for players and clubs. This is the case for all teams. I talked about that with [Bayern Munich boss] Pep Guardiola.
"Last year we did great things. Few teams in Europe were able to do that. This year, it's harder. We must prepare this game against Lorient seriously. We must have the same preparation as against Olympique de Marseille."
Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc has confirmed Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not fit enough to return against Lorient on Saturday.
It had been hoped that the Sweden star - who has been sidelined since late September with a heel problem - could be ready to make the matchday squad for the Ligue 1 clash this weekend.Blanc, however, does not feel the striker has fully recovered - though he says the signs in training are encouraging.
"He is much better, not enough to be in the group tomorrow, but there are some positive signs," the coach told reporters."He wants to be back. All injured players have a fear of when they will return - that is normal.
"This was longer than expected. I'm waiting to see if the good signs are confirmed. He must be careful in his training, even if he has above-average physical characteristics."
Blanc has backed Ezequiel Lavezzi to become a key player in Ibrahimovic's continued absence, particularly after his performance against Bordeaux."This is a week of three matches, all important. We will think about how to manage these three matches," he continued.
"Lavezzi can score goals. I was very satisfied to see him score against Bordeaux. He had physical problems. His return from the World Cup was complicated. He starts his season now."The return of injured players enables us to get better and we are on the right path. A post-World Cup year is always difficult for players and clubs. This is the case for all teams. I talked about that with [Bayern Munich boss] Pep Guardiola.
"Last year we did great things. Few teams in Europe were able to do that. This year, it's harder. We must prepare this game against Lorient seriously. We must have the same preparation as against Olympique de Marseille."
Lets see
