"We have to face the facts"- French football pundit claims PSG superstar is not reliable due to ‘bad habit'
PSG midfielder Marco Verratti isn't a reliable figure, according to French football pundit Julien Froment, who claims the Italian can't be relied on due to his frequent unavailability.
Veratti has played just 13 games for PSG out of a possible 27 across all competitions since the campaign kicked off. The midfielder has missed a couple of vital matches in recent weeks, including the last two Champions League clashes with RB Leipzig and Manchester City.
Paris Saint-Germain announce Sergio Ramos is not available yet, still recovering - and Marco Verratti will be out for 4 weeks, missing Champions League game with RB Leipzig too. 🔵🔴 #PSG
It goes without saying that Parisians perform a lot better when they have the 29-year-old on the pitch. Julien Froment acknowledged that the midfielder is an essential figure in the team before raising concerns over his frequent unavailability.
"There is a PSG with and without Marco Verratti," the French football pundit said on France Bleu Paris.
"He is, in a way, the V8 engine of PSG. When he is there, we revel in his melodious roar. He is the timing belt between the defense and the attack… In short, an essential part," he added.
Forment then went ahead to claim that having such an important player fluctuating isn't enough for a club like PSG who want to fight on all fronts. The pundit further stressed that it is a 'bad habit' on the part of the player, making him unreliable.
"The problem is, this engine seizes up a lot. Only 13 out of 27 possible matches, one out of two matches… unfortunately, this is a bad habit for Marco Verratti. We have to face the facts: he is not reliable, not enough at least for a club that wants to play on all fronts."
Marco Verratti has been given a one-match ban by the French Football League's Disciplinary Commission.
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What are PSG up to this season?
PSG are determined to go all out for the Champions League this season after signing the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Achraf Hakimi in the summer. The Parisians are on the right track, having sealed their passage into the knockout phase of the tournament. They'll face Real Madrid in the Round of 16 in February.
Domestically, the Parisians have had a promising start. They currently lead the Ligue 1 table with 46 points from 19 games, having recorded 14 wins, four draws and one defeat in the French top flight so far. It remains to be seen how far they'll go, come the end of the term.