Jardim defends decision to rest first team as Monaco return to Ligue 1 action

Posted Saturday, April 29, 2017 by PA

Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has launched a strong defence of his club's decision to rest their entire first team for Wednesday night's 5-0 Coupe de France defeat to Paris St Germain.

Jardim will bring back his big names for Saturday's crucial Ligue 1 clash with Toulouse, with his side sitting level at the top with PSG, who play on Sunday.

Jardim insisted the decision to rest his top players was inevitable given his side's hectic schedule at the end of the season, which has included their run in the Champions League.

He told a press conference ahead of Saturday's match: "I had no other choice - we know our players well with their capacity and their current level of workload.

"We are the team that has played the most games in Europe this season and we cannot keep playing three matches every three days."

Jardim insisted his side's hectic schedule - which continues over the next fortnight with consecutive midweek clashes against Juventus in the Champions League - has caused even himself to suffer fatigue.

He added: "We will make every effort to remain competitive in the Championship and the Champions League, with this group of 12 or 13 players who will play seven games in a row.

"When we play on Saturday we will have had two-and-a-half days of recovery. Players are not machines, they are men. Even I am very tired - I went to bed at four in the morning on Monday.

"I trained in the afternoon and again on Tuesday - then on Wednesday we came to Paris and I got to bed again at four in the morning. And I don't even play, I'm only the coach."

Jardim will be wise not to take Toulouse lightly given their opponents have already beaten them 3-1 this season, as well as taking four points against PSG.

But Pascal Dupraz's men go into the game in 11th place and without a win in their last three games after last week's draw against Nice.

Dupraz believes Monaco have grown throughout the current campaign and will offer a sterner threat than the one they dealt with so effectively earlier this season.

Dupraz told reporters: "The Monaco team have made progress since the start of the season - we had a very good performance against them and many things went well.

"But Saturday is a different game. The objective is to show that we have also made progress, and we can judge our level against one of the great teams in Europe."