Kylian Mbappe is poised to make a comeback for Paris St-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash at home against Real Sociedad on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old French striker was on the bench but didn’t play in PSG’s 3-1 league victory against Lille on Saturday.
PSG manager Luis Enrique opted to give Mbappe a rest for the match as he had sustained an ankle injury during a French Cup triumph over Brest.
“Kylian Mbappe is available, just like the other players,” said Luis Enrique.
“When a team has a player like Kylian Mbappe, of course we know that the more he plays the better, because we all benefit from that.
“There is no doubt about it. He could have played [on Saturday] if it had been a final, but it wasn’t, it was not worth the risk.”
Mbappe has netted 20 goals in the league and three in the Champions League so far this season.
PSG enters the match against Sociedad with an 11-point lead in Ligue 1, whereas the Spanish team sits seventh in La Liga standings.
However, PSG secured the runner-up position in their Champions League group to advance to the knockout stage, while Sociedad clinched the top spot in a group that featured Inter Milan.
“Real Sociedad have a tight defence in the Champions League, they don’t give the ball away easily. We have to press them aggressively,” said Luis Enrique.
“They are certainly one of the best teams in the competition, that is why they qualified as group winners. They were in a group with last year’s finalists.”