In his press conference leading up to the Coupe de la Ligue final Olympique Lyonnais, manager Thomas Tuchel spoke on various topics.
When it came to the lineup against Lyon, the German discussed those absent from the group.
“This is the first time that Thilo Kehrer has been training with the team. I think it’s too early for tomorrow. The same goes for Dagba,” Tuchel said. “Juan Bernat has been training for the last two days, but it may be too early to start. But he will undoubtedly be with the team to be available on the bench. For Kylian, I have no news. He is healing. He won’t play tomorrow.”
One of the next noticeable questions for Tuchel was over Mauro Icardi’s form. The 27-year-old didn’t score in the Coupe de France against AS Saint-Étienne. However, the capital club manager is still confident in his striker.
“He was very strong in the first friendlies. He is still very strong with Neymar, Kylian, and Angel in 4-4-2. At times, it’s good for us because it has other characteristics,” Tuchel said. “He may not hit a lot of balls and still be confident. It is not necessary for him to win to have the ball. He is always dangerous in the box. He’s always important because he’s disciplined and understands the game. It’s important to us.”
The questions then transitioned to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal matchup against Atalanta BC. Nonetheless, Tuchel insists that they cannot prepare for the Italian club by facing Lyon.
“It is not possible to prepare Atalanta because they are special. He plays in a special way defensively and offensively. It is not possible to prepare him against Lyon,” Tuchel said. “The only thing we can prepare is our mentality for the fight. We must show our thirst for victory. It is absolutely necessary tomorrow.”
Finally, the French media asked whether he believes that Kylian Mbappé will play in that match.
“Yes, always, but it will be short. I have nothing more to say,” Tuchel said. “It will be short, and every day counts to work a miracle. But it’s necessary to adapt tomorrow without Kylian.”
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