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Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique is facing a defensive crisis ahead of tonight’s Ligue 1 clash with Toulouse, forcing him to dip into the club’s youth ranks. With Marquinhos suspended, Nuno Mendes sidelined by an ankle injury sustained earlier this week with Portugal, Lucas Hernandez still recovering from an ACL tear, and Presnel Kimpembe yet to regain fitness, the options in PSG’s backline are stretched thin. To make matters worse, young right-back Naoufel El Hannach is away on duty with Morocco’s U20 team.
Amid this shortage, the Spanish coach has handed a first-ever senior squad call-up to Axel Tape, who turned 17 on August 10. The Bondy-born talent, part of PSG’s 2007 generation, trained with the first team for the first time yesterday under snowy conditions at the Poissy training campus. A product of the club’s renowned youth academy, Tape stands out for his versatility, being capable of playing both in midfield and as a central defender. Despite his rapid rise, he has yet to sign a professional contract.
Tape’s performances this season have been impressive. In addition to regular appearances in the U19 National Championship, he started in PSG’s first four matches of the UEFA Youth League, facing Girona (0-2), Arsenal (0-1), PSV Eindhoven (3-3), and Atlético Madrid (4-2). On the international stage, he featured for France’s U18 team earlier this month, participating in two friendlies under coach Landry Chauvin – narrow defeats against Turkey (1-0) and the Netherlands (1-0).
Luis Enrique’s decision to include Tape alongside other academy prospects like Yoram Zague (18) and Ibrahim Mbaye (16) underlines PSG’s commitment to nurturing homegrown talent. All eyes will be on the teenager as he begins what could be a breakthrough moment in his budding career
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Source: transfermarketweb.com