Ibrahimovic can't do what Cavani does - Blanc

Laurent Blanc has hailed Edinson Cavani as a key player for the team, insisting the defensive aspect to his game makes him as important to Paris Saint-Germain as Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Cavani has been shifted out onto the wings for most of his time in the French capital to accommodate the Swedish talisman, despite being seen as a star centre-forward at his previous club Napoli and with the Uruguay national team.


However, Blanc says the 27-year-old is a useful player to have on the wing for the Ligue 1 champions, adding that Ibrahimovic could not do what his team-mate does.

"I have never seen a striker work as hard as he does, because he likes it," Blanc told reporters. "A player like Ibra could not do what Cavani does with regards to defensive work.

"He is also not a winger, but he is a player who likes to cover the entire area of the attack.
"Ideally, Ibrahimovic and Cavani would swap positions a lot. My attacking trio could have complete freedom up front, I sometimes talk to my strikers about it.

"What interests me is that during the defensive phase we cover the entire width of the field. I think methodically as well and from the beginning it would not be possible for them to swap, since for this role there it takes a tremendous physical condition, to attack and then defend."

PSG face Caen on Saturday just days ahead of their Champions League clash with Chelsea and Blanc admits he is preparing for the European clash already.

"We play on Saturday and the match against Chelsea is on Tuesday evening so we have a short recovery time, but we are thinking about Chelsea too. We will be competitive against Caen to prepare the team that will start against Chelsea."