Bradley Barcola hoping to get playing time with France U21

AC Milan v Paris Saint-Germain: Group F - UEFA Champions League 2023/24
AC Milan v Paris Saint-Germain: Group F - UEFA Champions League 2023/24 / Jonathan Moscrop/GettyImages
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In a bid to revive his playing time, PSG winger Bradley Barcola is set to start for the France U21 Espoirs team this Friday, as confirmed by coach Thierry Henry in his pre-game press conference.

Barcola, it's worth noting, has been increasingly sidelined under Luis Enrique's management at PSG, but he aims to seize this opportunity and make an impact at the international level to convince his coach to give him more chances when he returns to Paris after the break.

Since Thierry Henry assumed the helm of the Espoirs in September, Barcola has featured in three out of four matches, signaling a potential turning point for the 21-year-old.

The French squad arrived in Linz on Wednesday ahead of Friday's clash with Austria U21, with Barcola expected to play a key role alongside Elye Wahi and Rayan Cherki.

This move could prove pivotal for Barcola as long as he can take advantage of the extraordinary opportunity considering how he has seen a decline in trust from PSG's Enrique of late. Despite starting twice during the previous league stint, his Champions League appearances have been limited and Barcola hasn't liked that development.

Barcola's playing time has dwindled from 218 minutes between September and October to a mere 145 minutes since the last international break.

Thierry Henry's confidence in Barcola offers a glimmer of hope for the young winger, who was one of Luis Enrique's own transfer demands to the board of PSG last summer.

The upcoming matches against Austria and South Korea present a valuable opportunity for Barcola to regain some form and stake his claim for a more prominent role back at PSG.