Luis Enrique stands by Kvaratskhelia ahead of Le Mans clash

Just because a Ballon d'Or nominee isn't scoring doesn't mean he's in a slump. That's the message Luis Enrique wants to get across ahead of PSG's home game against newly promoted Le Mans this Saturday at the Parc des Princes.

The headline name heading into the match is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian winger, considered a serious contender for this year's Ballon d'Or, has yet to play a full 90 minutes in Ligue 1 this season. He did score in PSG's win over Aston Villa that secured the UEFA Super Cup, but he hasn't found the net since.

Luis Enrique wasn't interested in entertaining any alarm bells. "Kvara is a top, top player," he said. "He's proven it in key moments. I'm very happy to have him on the team, but he's not a machine, he's a human being."

It's normal to have high points and not so good ones. There's nothing to worry about.Luis Enrique

The coach's comments line up with his team's uneven start to the season. PSG, the defending champions, failed to win any of their first three league matches. Things turned around after that: back to back wins before the international break, on the road against Brest and Marseille, results that gave the Parisian locker room some breathing room.

Luis Enrique argued that the team's run deserves a more generous read than the standings suggest. "As a coach, you always try to show that we're a team. I'm the first one to be critical of my players, but looking at how the season started, we deserve to have more points than we currently have," he explained. "It's important to pick up points to build confidence. We started the season differently, and it's an exciting challenge for us."

A rival that won't give anything away

Le Mans isn't coming into this one as an easy outing. The side has lost just once since returning to the top flight and sits just two points behind the European champions after beating Lorient in its last match.

Luis Enrique was clear about the threat Le Mans poses: "They're a real team that plays good football, but we're at the Parc des Princes, in front of our fans, and we want to climb the table. That's why we're going to go for the three points." He added: "Le Mans has shown it can compete at this level. They play well with the ball and they defend well too. We're going to have to be even more switched on than usual to manage the different phases of the game."

The coach also offered a reminder that applies to any schedule coming out of an international break: "There are no easy matches, especially after a break for national teams. We're going to face difficulties, and we have to be ready to get past them."

On the injury front, PSG will be without Senny Mayulu, who suffered a thigh injury while on international duty with the French Under-21 team. In addition, forward Ferran Torres and midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery will undergo fitness tests for ankle and thigh issues, respectively, before it's confirmed whether they'll be available in time for the match.