Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has said his decision to keep Kylian Mbappe on the bench is to “protect him from the storm” over a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain.
“We’ve never been in the habit of punishing our players,” he told reporters. “It’s not the right word. It’s rather to protect him. With all these things around an 18-year-old kid, it’s our responsibility to protect him from the storm. It’s a decision of the club.
“That means me, Vadim [Vasilyev, Monaco vice-president] and the sporting director [Antonio Cordon]. It’s our decision for the player, the squad, the club.
“I’m always for protecting players who need it. My philosophy is to play with the available players who are at 100 percent. Kylian is not 100 percent, he’s not in form right now. It’s normal. If another paper offers you 15 times your salary, you’ll type less well on your computer…”
“The players who stay are the most important,” he said. “We played without [Anthony] Martial and [Geoffrey] Kondogbia, who left in previous seasons, and now we have to play without Bernardo Silva, Bakayoko, Mendy, it’s always like that.
“Play well with those who are left, that’s the working attitude. I’ve been here a long time. I’ve never cried because a player was injured or left.”
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate