The assistant coach was asked about the forward after the Ligue 1 giants headed past Angers on Saturday
Jesus Perez defended Kylian Mbappe after the Paris Saint-Germain star fired another blank while the Ligue 1 champions overcame Angers 1-0 to move to the top of the table.
Layvin Kurzawa’s goal with 20 minutes left saw PSG edge Angers at Raymond Kopa’s Stade on Saturday, jumping into Lyon’s rivals in the process, although Rudi Garcia’s side can return to the top by beating Metz Sunday.
PSG have six unbeaten games in Ligue 1, and the title holders have retained 12 clean sheets this season – more than any other team in the top five European leagues.
But Mbappe was the subject of post-match debate after the reported Real Madrid target extended his scoreless run to four games as he was withdrawn from 10 minutes from time.
PSG assistant Perez, representing the absence of head coach Mauricio Pochettino as a result of his coronavirus positive test, praised the French international forward – who has scored 12 goals in 16 Ligue 1 appearances this term this and 14 across all competitions.
“Kylian was deeply involved in this impact,” Perez told reporters. “He fulfilled his duty. We changed his role during the game.
“Then he attacked the places better. He’s not as successful right now, but he has his share in that success. He worked hard for the team.”
With a self-proclaimed Pochettino, Perez took the lead while PSG secured a back-to-back league win, after also claiming for the Trophee des Champions during the week.
PSG duo Marco Verratti and Leandro Paredes exchanged 72 passes against Angers, the highest tally for a midfield pair in Ligue 1 this season.
Asked about Pochettino and his absence, Perez said: “He had contact with the players by video before the game. We also had him before the game and then at half time for an exchange.
“We continued to talk about what we did this week. We also talked about training for the coming week. We will take advantage of this week’s macrocycles to focus on specific points during the session. .We prepared everything with Mauricio. “
“It was sad but we took all three points,” he said. “Angers are a well-organized team that bothered us. But we went for this impact.”