|
Paris Saint-Germain's Lucas Moura and Jean-Kevin Augustin can't wait for the new season to start as the Ligue 1 champions prepare for the Trophee des Champions on Saturday. PSG return to training on Tuesday after their recent tour of the United States for the International Champions Cup, before heading to Austria at the end of the week as they take on Lyon at the Worthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt. Lucas, who scored nine goals and provided five assists in 36 Ligue 1 appearances last season, struck the third of Les Parisiens' goals in the 4-0 thrashing of English champions Leicester City in Carson, California, over the weekend. The Brazil international also wore the captain's armband in America and, speaking to Goal France's Loic Tanzi, the 23-year-old expressed his desire to "explode" this season under the guidance of new coach Unai Emery. "I hope I have a lot to give [this season] -- lots to offer this team and PSG," Lucas said. "I have progressed since I arrived here [and now] it's time for me to explode. "This is the time to take my place. This will come with work and discipline. I really try to respect how the coach asks me to help the team. I feel good and I am very positive for this season. I will give my life to make supporters dream and give titles to PSG." Augustin, 18, only managed one goal from 13 appearances in Ligue 1 last term but was rarely given opportunities by Blanc. He excelled at the European Under-19 Championship in Germany this summer, top scoring with six goals and one assist as France beat Italy 4-0 in the final. The striker told Le Parisien he was pleased that Emery considered him an attacking option after the 3-1 win over Real Madrid in Columbus, Ohio. "I did not know that the coach mentioned me but that is nice to hear from someone who is known for giving chances to the younger players," Augustin said. "Now, it is up to me to prove that I have the quality to the play in this team and to impose myself. This [Emery's comments] gives me the desire to work hard." Augustin, who is contracted to the summer of 2018, feels he matured during France's recent success at the European Under-19 Championship. "I made progress tactically," he said. "I am still struggling at that level and as we have a lot of video sessions with the national team, that helped me -- particularly for the substitutes." With PSG unwilling to let Augustin leave on loan this summer, the versatile attacker will stay with PSG and fight for a place in the first team. "PSG is my formative club; somewhere I feel good right now," he added. "Once again, though, it is up to me to impress and to impose myself. I am looking forward to [training on] Tuesday."
|
