Paris Saint-Germain have left Khvicha Kvaratskhelia out of their starting lineup for today’s Matchday 2 clash against Lille, with the Georgian winger named among the substitutes as Luis Enrique opts for a different front three.
The decision comes after a rocky start to the season for PSG’s attack. In the club’s Ligue 1 opener against Stade Rennais, both Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele started but were withdrawn at halftime with PSG trailing 2-0, with Ferran Torres and Mika Godts brought on in their place. Torres scored a brace as PSG fought back to salvage a 2-2 draw.
The official XI for today’s clash against Lille lines up as: Safonov, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Beraldo, Zaire-Emery, Fabian, Vitinha, Doue, Ferran and Akliouche, with Kvaratskhelia joining Digne, Lucas Hernandez, Mayulu, Godts, Chevalier, Longoni, Zabarnyi and Dro among the substitutes.
Kvaratskhelia will be looking to reclaim his place in the side after PSG’s trip to Lille, with the club aiming to build early-season momentum in the Ligue 1 title race.
No guaranteed spots under Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique made clear afterward that no player’s starting spot is guaranteed, regardless of reputation. “Football is like that. PSG haven’t won anything. There is no credit at PSG! If you think about what you’ve won, you won’t win anything else,” the Spaniard said when asked about his halftime substitutions.
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“You need to show every day, in every match, that you are ready. We should win all of the time. To win all of the time, you have to step outside your comfort zone. Is that clear?” Luis Enrique concluded.
With Dembele already being rested on the coaching staff’s recommendation and Nuno Mendes unavailable through suspension, Kvaratskhelia’s absence from the XI appears to be another byproduct of that message, as Akliouche gets his first start following his impressive cameo against Rennes.
