Does Kimpembe still have a future at PSG ?

Presnel Kimpembe is without a doubt at a crossroad of his career. The 29-year-old who came through the ranks from the PSG Academy made his return to the squad after almost two years on the sideline since suffering an achilles injury back in February 2023 is yet to make his return on the pitch for PSG.

Kimpembe is certainly one of the most iconic "Titi" of the club in recent history. The France international donned the PSG shirt 236 times since breaking into the first team in 2015. However, an achilles injury completly derailed his career at the club. While injured and on the sideline, the club offered him a contract extension until 2026, showing how the club appreciated the player and the man with an exemplar behaviour.

The centre back is a great presence within the team playing the role of "big brother" with the youngest player of the team while being an important leader of the squad despite being on the sideline.

Nonetheless, it is completely different on the pitch. The Frenchman made officially his return within the squad in November but he is yet to make his first appearance this season despite Luis Enrique considering "ready" to take part in games. Here is what the Spaniard coach declared ahead of their French Cup tie against lower-division side Espaly:

" After having spoken with Presnel to see if he is ready, I think he feels a lot better. Over the past months, he has been able to train with the group but it is important to exchange with the player about how he is feeling. He is ready to help the team."

So the question that many PSG followers have been asking remained the same since the 2018 World Cup winner made his return in the squad, when is he going to play? And most importantly can he play?

It is not secret for anyone, while Kimpembe was injured, Paris made many trasnfers in his position with the signings of Beraldo, Lucas Hernandez, Skriniar and Pacho. Though Beraldo is mainly considered as a back up, Hernandez has all the qualities to be a potential starter. His ACL injury sidelined him for around eight months but he already made his return on the pitch.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Kimpembe, almost two years since his last appearance on the picth as a PSG player, no one knows what is level is going to be and most importanly if his body can still sustained the level required to take part in PSG games. The answer to this question might lie in Luis Enrique's reluctance on giving him minutes even against Espaly.