Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe took one minute this week to show why he remains the French league's most dangerous player.
Monaco's defenders will be bracing themselves for a refreshed and goal-hungry Mbappe when the sides meet on Friday night at Stade Louis II.
After being sidelined with a minor thigh injury for three games, Mbappe came off the bench for France against Sweden on Tuesday. Immediately on the ball, he skipped down the left wing and clipped over a perfectly-weighted cross that striker Olivier Giroud met with a diving header.
France's Kylian Mbappe, right, controls the ball as Sweden's Emil Krafth defends during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Sweden at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, northern Paris, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)
Crosser, dribbler, finisher: Mbappe's repertoire is huge, and it makes him potentially decisive as soon as he gets on the ball.
Monaco knows that all too well, having developed him through its youth ranks into the world star he is now. After winning the league title and reaching the Champions League semifinals with Monaco in 2017, he joined PSG in a whopping deal worth 180 million euros ($213 million). He netted 26 goals in 44 games in a season where he turned 18.
Mbappe has 97 goals in 132 games for league leader PSG and, had he not been ill with the coronavirus and minor injuries, would likely already have reached the century mark by now.
France's Kylian Mbappe, left, controls the ball as Sweden's Emil Krafth defends during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Sweden at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, northern Paris, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. (AP PhotoFrancois Mori)
He has played only eight matches so far this season, scoring seven goals.
His fitness is most welcome for PSG coach Thomas Tuchel, who has a big injury list to deal with. Given that situation, eyebrows were raised when Mbappe joined France on international duty despite carrying an injury.
In the end, a relieved Tuchel praised France coach Didier Deschamps for leaving him out against Finland and Portugal and only playing him for 30 minutes in a 4-2 win against the Swedes.
“I'm very happy. There's good communication with the France team, we know what they did with him in training," Tuchel said. “He took part in a full training session for us yesterday (on Wednesday).”
Tuchel has to decide whether to start Mbappe against his former club, or to bring him on.
“He's feeling very good," Tuchel said. “We need to decide how many minutes he plays.”
One small consolation for Monaco's defenders will be that Mbappe is unlikely to be paired alongside Neymar for much of the game.
Neymar was called up by Brazil for their international games, even though he was nursing an injury, but did not play and the Selecao let him leave the squad.
“I'm confident he will play a few minutes against Monaco,” Tuchel said.
Tuchel is missing midfielder Marco Verratti, striker Mauro Icardi, winger Julian Draxler, midfielder Idrissa Gueye and left back Thilo Kehrer through injury, while left back Juan Bernat could be out for the rest of the season.
Given PSG's precarious injury situation, Tuchel also has to protect his South American players coming back from international duty. Brazilian Marquinhos and Argentines Leandro Paredes and Angel Di Maria all played this week.
“We have to be careful and be intelligent in terms of minutes played,” said Tuchel, whose side is chasing a ninth straight win after losing the first two games.
Fifth-place Monaco, meanwhile, will be without top scorer Wissam Ben Yedder as he continues his recovery from COVID-19. He tested positive last Thursday when on international duty with France.
Ben Yedder was the league's co-top scorer last season with 18 goals — level with Mbappe — and has four in seven games this term.
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It's been more than three years since Dimitri Payet last played in a France shirt. At 35, his best years are behind him and his legs get tired quicker than they used to.
But with one last chance to play at a World Cup, Payet is doing everything to earn a seat on the plane that will carry the defending champions to Qatar in November.
He has been stellar both on and off the field for Marseille this season, despite having to deal with the psychological challenges brought on by repeated attacks by opposing fans.
Marseille's Dimitri Payet shoots a free kick during the Europa Conference League quarterfinal soccer match between Olympique Marseille and PAOK FC at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France, Thursday, April 7, 2022. (AP PhotoDaniel Cole)
Often mocked for his tendency to put on weight, Payet has maintained his fitness throughout the season and has been crucial in leading Marseille toward Champions League qualification.
Payet's performances have not gone unnoticed by France coach Didier Deschamps, who is not closing the door on his return amid fierce competition in the team for the attacking spots.
“At one point he had an important role, even decisive," Deschamps told local newspaper La Provence last month. “He can still be called up. It sounds like I’m not saying anything, and that I never call this kind of player. But it means something. It will depend on the situation.”
PAOK's Eleftherios Lyratzis, left, tries to stop Marseille's Dimitri Payet during the Europa Conference League quarterfinal soccer match between Olympique Marseille and PAOK FC at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France, Thursday, April 7, 2022. (AP PhotoDaniel Cole)
Payet has made 38 appearances and scored eight goals with France. The Réunion-born player started his international career in 2010 and became a regular starter in the team that reached the European Championship final in 2016.
He missed out on winning the 2018 World Cup with France because of an injury suffered in the Europa League final that year. His last appearance with Les Bleus dates back to October 2018, when he came on as a substitute for 23 minutes in a friendly against Iceland.
Facing competition from players of the caliber of Kilyan Mbappé, Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann and Wissam Ben Yedder, Payet knows his chances to make the cut are slim.
PAOK's Eletherios Lyratzis, background, holds Marseille's Dimitri Payet during the Europa Conference League, second leg, quarterfinal soccer match between PAOK FC and Olympique Marseille at the Toumba stadium in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, Thursday, April 14, 2022. (AP PhotoGiannis Papanikos)
“Being in the 23-man squad would be amazing, the attacking pool of talent is incredible,” the Marseille captain told L'Equipe recently. “I would come back to polish Karim’s boots if necessary."
With five matches left to play in the league, Marseille looks set to finish second behind runaway leader Paris Saint-Germain in the automatic Champions League spot. The nine-time champions hold a six-point lead over Rennes and Strasbourg ahead of Sunday's trip to Reims.
Payet has scored 12 goals — one short of his career best with Saint-Étienne more than a decade ago — and delivered eight assists in 29 league matches. He was again decisive this week in delaying PSG's title celebrations as Marseille rallied to clinch a 3-2 victory over Nantes with Payet converting two penalties.
PSG has a 15-point lead at the top of the standings and will claim a record-equaling 10th league title if it does not lose at home against Lens on Saturday.
To build his case for a shot at the World Cup, Payet can also point to his excellent displays on the continental stage. This month, his winning goal in Thessaloniki clinched a 3-1 aggregate victory over PAOK that led the 1993 European champions into the semifinals of the Europa Conference League, where they will face Feyenoord.
“The objective was to come here to qualify and qualify for the semifinals," Payet said after scoring his third goal in five Europa Conference League matches. "So it’s mission accomplished.”
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