Ligue 1: Pogba a potential captain and squad latest ahead of AS Monaco’s trip to Marseille

Two days before AS Monaco’s important trip to the Stade Vélodrome to take on Olympique de Marseille, Sébastien Pocognoli and Lamine Camara faced the media.

Under the watchful eye of Thiago Scuro, AS Monaco’s sporting director, who was present alongside journalists at the press conference, the Belgian coach and his midfielder said they were ready and confident before this vital Ligue 1 match against the team third in the standings.

Pogba, future captain?

Having been left on the bench vs Galatasaray due to some slight tightness in his knee, Paul Pogba remains doubtful for the trip to Marseille. Pocognoli praised the 2018 World Cup winner’s attitude during the recent victory over Paris Saint-Germain, stating: “I asked him to bring good energy to the bench, and he did. He has every right to do so.”

Appreciated by the entire locker room for his human qualities and humility, his coach even indicated that he was part of the group of six captains of the club, along with Denis Zakaria, Thilo Kehrer, Maghnes Akliouche, Lukáš Hrádecký and Eric Dier.

The Marseille challenge

Regarding Marseille, Pocognoli emphasised the need for a collective approach. “We’re thinking about Marseille’s team and our own. We always have a game plan to limit their strengths. We’re going to Marseille with a lot of confidence,” he insisted.

When asked about Mason Greenwood, the league’s top scorer, Camara expressed his opinion, explaining: “He’s a very good player. When you play against players like that, you want to prove yourself.”

Despite the importance of this match, Pocognoli refused to call it crucial. “It’s an important match, but it’s not a crucial moment yet. We can also put together a run in the second half of the season that will allow us to catch up.” In the standings, AS Monaco are currently six points behind Olympique de Marseille.

Camara, a welcome return

Recent victories against PSG and Galatasaray have coincided with Camara’s return to form. The young maestro spoke about his excellent connection with Zakaria. “We’ve been playing together for two years now, and I feel really good alongside him. He brings me serenity, confidence and his experience,” he told the media.

His coach appreciates Camara’s potential and is convinced he has a bright future ahead of him. “He motivates me to push myself every day to help him. I’m sure he can still improve his ball control and his finishing in the penalty area to be more decisive,” acknowledged Pocognoli.

“He’s very important and ambitious; he shares that ambition with his voice. Lamine feels he’s giving his all and inspires everyone to follow his lead.”

The Senegalese midfielder admitted that he can sometimes let his emotions get the better of him on the pitch. Against PSG, his failure to be sent off after his heavy tackle on goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier sparked a huge reaction. “It wasn’t intentional, the referee decides,” he reflected.

He should be reunited with Chevalier at the 2026 World Cup, as well as his teammate Maghnes Akliouche (possibly), since France will face Senegal in the group stage. “We talk about it all the time with Maghnes. I give him a lot of hard tackles in training so he’ll start to get scared,” he joked.

Balogun and Zakaria indispensable to Pocognoli

The Monaco boss applauded the current form of his American attacker, commenting: “When I arrived, we gave him a lot of confidence, and he responded immediately.”

The coaching staff is working with him on his finishing, awareness and positioning towards the goalkeeper, even though “his boundless energy can sometimes cause him to lose a bit of composure”. Pocognoli also hopes he can connect more effectively with his teammates, especially if he decides to play with a second striker. Having already scored three consecutive goals in the Champions League, the centre-forward can count on Zakaria’s return to provide him with some nice service.

Captain and back in the starting eleven, Swiss star Zakaria is unquestionably a massive asset to AS Monaco.

“All the players are linked by their importance in the starting eleven, but it’s certain that Denis allows us to be more aggressive going forward and to press the ball higher up the pitch, because he has this ability to cover distances. But he also knows how to make runs in the other direction, as seen in the first half against Galatasaray, where he made a great recovery run into the box to intercept the cross,” asserted the ASM boss.

“So it’s not just about going forward but also about our defensive coverage. He’s very important, he’s our captain, and he has a strong character! Proof of that is after his missed penalty on Tuesday night, he tried a shot from 25 metres. That’s important because it’s with this kind of mentality that you can change a match. Furthermore, we mustn’t forget that he was out for a long time when I arrived, and now he’s starting to get back into the swing of things, so it’s all to our advantage.”

Eyes on

Before this colossal away clash, AS Monaco has nearly a full squad available, with only Ansu Fati unavailable. Last year at the Vélodrome, Monaco lost late in the game due to a Greenwood penalty. They now need to confirm this renewed momentum on the pitch to cap off what could be a terrific week and spend the holiday season in a far more positive league position.