Olympique Marseille vs. PSG: Christophe Galtier pre-match press conference

PSG will face their first true challenge of the month when they visit Olympique Marseille on Wednesday for their French Cup Round of 16 clash at the Stade Velodrome. The Parisian team received good news on Monday, though, with the return of Neymar to the training ground.

Christophe Galtier held a pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon in which he shared some interesting thoughts ahead of the matchup with Olympique Marseille on the road at the Stade Velodrome. Here is what the coach said.

About traveleing to his birthplace of Marseille and facing the team he once played for in Olympique Marseille...

"When I arrived at PSG, I knew that there would be matches in Marseille, (and this season) we will go to the Velodrome twice in a short time. I completely disregard that I was born in Marseille, that I am from Marseille, and that I played for OM. I am the PSG coach now, and I know what these matches represent. It's not a classic Round of 16, but I ignore all that. I made sure to close all the emails that arrived or might arrive at my laptop and shut down plans with the family (he has in Marseille) to stay very focused on the match and to earn the qualification."

About any news regarding the injured players of PSG...

"Renato Sanches will be unavailable, as he suffered an injury (
(in his left thigh). He will spend a few weeks off. Neymar is available, and Verratti and Ramos are available, too. Mukiele hasn't trained with the group yet but he is progressing and improving. Kimpembe is not very far from joining the group and being available; he began to integrate with the group in the team sessions along with doing some complementary work.

About this month of February being the most exciting in his career as a coach so far...

"Yes, we can call it that! It is a very exciting month. I have gone through very packed periods in the past, but when you are the coach of PSG, you also have great exposure and there is the obligation of getting results. I am not under pressure during this month of February, but it's true that there will be a lot at stake, and a lot of expectations during this month with the double matchup against Bayern and this knockout match against OM.

About his speech to the players of PSG before they faced OM the last time, earlier this season...

"You know, we have a lot of players who have played in these kinds of games, Classiques, big games with so much exposure, and with opponents looking to put pressure on you. We will have to raise our level of play, and be good on a technical level. And having this ability to play under the pressure of the opponent. It's a team that presses a lot, that hunts everywhere, we will have to endure and overcome this pressure and most often have the ball at our feet.

About how important emotion managing is for him at this high-stakes type of match...

"The management of emotions comes with experience, and we have been able to play matches of this type already. I very often remind my players that it first and foremost, is an 11 vs, 11 match. We're not playing against 60,000 spectators. I tell them very often that we have to finish games with eleven men and not get carried away by disputes, bad gestures, or brawls like there could be tomorrow just because it's the game of the year for a lot of people. You have to have lucidity and a cool head. Everyone must play with their own qualities."

About who will be the starter at goal, Gianluigi Donnarumma or Sergio Rico...

"I will not give you the name of the goalkeeper who will start, but my goalkeepers are already aware of who that player will be."

"(Before Keylor Navas left) things were very clear between Gigio and Keylor for months regarding the hierarchy. If I told you [Gigio] is released (of the pressure of losing his GK1 role, considering Navas is gone), that would mean Keylor didn't do the job well. Navas behaved very well during the last six months. He wanted to leave to play because he is passionate about the game so he did not accept the situation. The behavior of Gigio and Keylor was exemplary, there were never any problems between them. Sergio Rico has become GK2. The goalkeepers get along well. Gigio has always been happy in the dressing room and on the pitch."

About the development of Warren Zaire-Emery...

"He is a young boy, but he has a certain maturity to him already. It seemed important to me after the Reims episode (WZE missed the pass leading to Folarin Balogun's last-second goal to tie the game) that he quickly regained his composure and positive feelings, and that's why he came back against Montpellier. He is a very attentive, observant player. He has a personality that leads him to take initiative. Against Montpellier, another player would surely have tried to attempt a pass, but he went for the goal with great determination (and scored the third and final goal of PSG). He is very, very close to the level of our senior first-team midfielders."

About Neymar's current form and availability...

"Since his return from the World Cup, he has been working on his ankle every day, strengthening it, but also making it more stable. He was spared after the Reims match as he had felt a great discomfort in the adductor. He had wanted to go as far as possible, but there were some precautionary measures taken in the matches that followed. The feelings are very good now, and Neymar did a full session (with the rest of the group) today."

About El Chadaille Bitshiabu being able to start a match like OM-PSG already...

"[He has] a very big potential, with a lot of lucidity and clairvoyance. He is also very close to the level of our (first-team) defenders. What I noticed in the match against Toulouse is that he was very unhappy with his first intervention which costs him a yellow card and then leads to the foul-kick goal. We thought it would be complicated for this young boy but in the end, he played a very good match. Rewatching the game, you [wouldn't think] that he is a 17-year-old player. He mastered the game as it developed, and his emotions. He can start the game against Olympique Marseille like any other game, that's for sure."