Laurent Blanc: 'We have to forget the context to concentrate on the match'

PSG boss attempts to focus his players for their first home game since the Paris attacks

Zlatan Ibrahimovic in action for PSG against Malmo this week (Getty Images)

As PSG take to the field on Saturday night for their encounter with Troyes who are marooned at the bottom of Ligue 1, the words “Je suis Paris” will be emblazoned across their shirts as they were on the all-black strip that Les Parisiens sported in their Champions League fixture against Malmö.

It will act as another opportunity to remember those who tragically lost their lives a fortnight ago in the French capital, and PSG’s motto of “Ici, c’est Paris” is particularly pertinent as the Parisians endeavour to be defiant in the face of the attacks.

Evidently, security will be of the highest concern – fans have been encouraged to arrive at the stadium two hours prior to kick-off, while no bags will be allowed into the ground. Yet Blanc voiced his desire that security personnel “will not be too noticeable.”

The former French international obviously recognises the emotion surrounding the game, however, as he commented in the build-up to their last game against Lorient, “life continues”. Indeed, Les Parisiens picked up a narrow 2-1 victory at the Stade du Moustoir before hammering Malmö.

Blanc has good reason to be hopeful of another positive result against the league’s whipping boys, Troyes. When you look over the wealth of attacking talent on the PSG teamsheet, it may as well be a fantasy football XI, with Ángel Di María and Edinson Cavani supporting the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahmović – therefore it is likely that the visitors will be cautious in their approach to add to their current meagre tally of five points.

If the hosts are able to break down their opponents, they will maintain their 13-point lead at the summit of Ligue 1, or even extend it if the chasing pack slip up. Yet, as Blanc declared this week, the race to the title is “a marathon”. Beyond football, a win on Saturday night would be a welcome tonic for a city that has suffered so greatly over the last fortnight.