Paris Saint-Germain’s Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti were deprived of featuring for their respective national teams this week after picking up injuries recently. The Frenchman recently had a hand injury operated on, while the Italian’s adductor problem that kept him out of the recent 1-0 home win over APOEL FC in the UEFA Champions League has resurfaced.
The pair’s likely absences for at least the trip to face FC Metz next Friday will present Adrien Rabiot with a chance to make his first team return.
Since initially refusing to sign a contract extension at the capital club, the talented 19-year-old midfielder has been frozen out of the first team picture. However, the young Frenchman finally came to an agreement with PSG over a new deal and signed it at the beginning of this month, as reported by ESPN FC.
This means that Rabiot can now make his return to coach Laurent Blanc’s starting XI and he was even on the substitutes’ bench during that 1-0 win over APOEL at the Parc des Princes. The PSG No. 25 did not return to the pitch that night, while also receiving a hot reception from some disgruntled fans, but could feature for the first time at the Stade Municipal Saint-Symphorien next Friday.
With Matuidi recuperating after an operation on a hand problem and Verratti’s adductor issue something that the pint-sized Azzurri star has struggled with recently, Rabiot and Yohan Cabaye could find themselves starting alongside Thiago Motta in midfield for the trip to Metz.
While the club’s desperation to tie Rabiot down to a new contract was understandable, the damage that his situation was doing to his progress was substantial. Now that the ordeal is behind him, the teenager can finally get back to playing football.
Up until an injury hampered his development in January of this year, Rabiot was one of Blanc’s most used players in the squad. Once he gets back to full fitness, the chances are that his coach will once again look to give him regular playing time wherever possible.
Rabiot’s contract renewal is excellent news for the player and the club, with PSG getting to keep one of the brightest talents to ever come through their ranks, but it is bad news for Cabaye. The French international was essentially acquired to cover the teenager’s absence at the start of 2014, which in turn upset the youngster.
While Cabaye will probably remain ahead of Rabiot until the end of this year, the chances are that the 28-year-old will not be sticking around at the Parc des Princes. Now that Rabiot’s future is assured, the path will be clear for the former Lille OSC and Newcastle United man to seek a move away as PSG try to honour their promise to give their teenage prodigy greater game time.
Blanc admits that he likes Rabiot, as reported by ESPN FC's Ian Holyman, so it is hard to imagine the precocious talent not being given an optimum number of opportunities.
The first of those chances should come against Metz and it is an opportunity that Rabiot needs to seize.
Although Blanc’s preferred midfield three of Matuidi, Verratti and Thiago Motta is relatively set for now, there is a growing case for the latter’s role to become more of a time share, with Verratti dropping into the deep role to allow Rabiot to play further forward.
A midfield setup consisting of Motta, Cabaye and Rabiot is likely to start in Metz and that would suit the latter perfectly as it would allow him to play on the left side of the two advanced midfielders, a role otherwise occupied by Matuidi or Javier Pastore.
With Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France matches to come over the next few months, plenty of opportunities will come Rabiot’s way. He needs to make the most of them and start mending the bridges that were burned during an acrimonious negotiation period.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1pZ9GLE
via IFTTT November 14, 2014 at 05:59AM
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