Ligue 1 Review | Is Luis Enrique’s management of Kylian Mbappé costing PSG?

The biggest talking point from Round 24 of Ligue 1 was the half-time substitution of Kylian Mbappé (25) in PSG’s goalless draw against Monaco on Friday evening. Undoubtedly, the decision at the break to substitute the France captain came as a shock but it is now becoming an apparent theme in Luis Enrique’s management of the player since he announced his intentions to leave the club at the end of the season. 

Mbappé looks destined to join Real Madrid in the summer transfer window and the PSG manager has made it clear that he is planning for the future without the former Monaco attacker. With the forward’s substitution against Monaco not injury-related, the former Barcelona boss has made it clear he wants to begin preparations for the post-Mbappé era at Les Parisiens. Speaking after the Monaco match, Luis Enrique said, “It was 100% the coach’s decision. Sooner or later we will have to get used to playing without Kylian Mbappe. It is my decision and one that I take with the objective of doing the best for the team.” 

Understandably, Luis Enrique is well within his rights to plan for life at PSG without Mbappé, but could the decision prove costly for PSG in the short-term with ambitions of European and domestic glory still on the line? 

In the last 4 Ligue 1 matches, Mbappé has either been substituted before the final whistle or not started the match with Luis Enrique limiting the minutes of the France international. This is not the first time this has happened this season. The 25-year-old was excluded from PSG training in preseason and this carried into the beginning of the Ligue 1 season. Mbappé was not involved against Lorient and came on as a substitute in Paris’ second match against Toulouse to secure a point. With the