Achraf Hakimi will be away from Paris Saint-Germain for a few weeks as he participates in the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco. The right-back leaves a massive hole in the capital club’s starting 11 that manager Luis Enrique needs to navigate.
Enrique spoke to the media on Saturday before the matchup against RC Lens and was asked about Hakimi’s absence from his team. The Spanish manager didn’t reveal who would replace the defender. However, he noted that replacing the Moroccan would take a collective effort.
“I am the coach, so it is my responsibility to decide which players play or not,” Enrique said (h/t Culture PSG). “It’s as simple as that. There is no team in the world where all players play. It’s impossible. Even if you (journalists) always like to talk about who is playing or not. If it were another player, you would still ask me the question. I’m used to it, and I have no problem with that. I just want to say that I always decide all of that…
“With our staff, we never complain about the players’ absences. If I were to complain to the team, imagine the other coaches in the championship… We are a team. All teams must find solutions to overcome these situations we encounter throughout the season.”
Enrique will assess potential replacements for Hakimi in PSG’s upcoming match against Lens, with Carlos Soler expected to take the right-back position in the projected starting 11.
If Soler doesn’t perform as expected, it will be intriguing to observe whether Nori Mukiele, reportedly drawing interest from Bayern Munich and still part of PSG, will be chosen. The speculation revolves around whether Parisians will exclude him from the lineup, potentially facilitating negotiations between the two clubs.
