Paris Saint-Germain are taking a careful approach with Achraf Hakimi’s comeback, as the Moroccan defender is still struggling mentally after the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Luis Enrique understands the situation and prefers to keep Hakimi out of the spotlight rather than rush him back into full competition.
Hakimi has quietly resumed work at the training ground, but PSG want to protect him as he continues to process the emotional toll of Morocco’s defeat to Senegal in the AFCON final. He sat out the recent 1-0 league win away to Auxerre and is expected to miss the upcoming Champions League clash with Newcastle as well, giving him more time to recover mentally before returning to the highest level.
The contrast with some of his teammates and compatriots is striking. Senegalese attacker Ibrahim Mbaye is already back in the PSG starting lineup and looked sharp in the win at Auxerre.
On the other hand, Hakimi’s countryman Brahim Diaz, who missed a crucial penalty for Morocco, has resumed training with Real Madrid but is also reportedly finding it hard to shake off the chaos and emotion of that dramatic final against Senegal.
