Georginio Wijnaldum has been hindered in his integration into the Paris Saint-Germain group in recent months by some South American teammates in the selection of the French superpower, reports L’Equipe. The players concerned are said to be concerned that Wijnaldum will replace the currently injured Argentine Leandro Paredes.
Wijnaldum’s start at Paris Saint-Germain was promising in terms of playing minutes. The midfielder started from the first whistle in the first four matches in Ligue 1 but then lost his starting place under coach Mauricio Pochettino. L’Equipe is critical of Wijnaldum. The French sports daily writes that the 30-year-old midfielder has “disappointed” since his move from Liverpool to PSG and hopes he can “bring creativity to the Parisians’ game” now that Marco Verratti has been out of action for four weeks due to a hip injury.
In any case, the absence of the injured Verratti offers Wijnaldum perspective. In addition, the defensive midfielder Paredes is currently recovering from an injury to his thigh and he is not expected back at PSG until after the upcoming international break in November. Due to the absence of the pair, Wijnaldum is an option for one of the two controlling positions in Pochettino’s team for the Ligue 1 match against Lille OSC on Friday evening. Yet the the Dutch international with Herrera, Danilo and Gueye still seems to have to tolerate three competitors.
According to L’Equipe Wijnaldum is given time to acclimatize in Paris. However, the sports newspaper claims that the midfielder is hindered by South American teammates. PSG’s roster currently includes South Americans Paredes, Marquinhos, Lionel Messi, Rafinha and ngel Di María, while Costa Rican Keylor Navas may also be included in this contingent. The players concerned, who are not mentioned by name, are especially concerned that Wijnaldum will take the place of the currently injured Paredes. The Argentine midfielder, who made the switch from Zenit Saint Petersburg to PSG in January 2019, has played twice in Ligue 1 this season and he played one half in the Champions League match against Club Brugge (1 -1).
Despite Wijnaldum not yet having a great start at PSG, according to L’Equipe not yet written off by the club. “With its versatility, efficiency and unique features, it is still considered a real weapon” by the French superpower. The midfielder recently spoke about his current situation at PSG at the press conference in the run-up to the Dutch national team’s won World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar (6-0). “I hope to fight back to basics soon. I’m also a fighter and I’m going to do everything I can to turn this around.”