Leonardo Jardim has promised plenty of game time for new AS Monaco signings like Cesc Fabregas as he looks to steer the club to Ligue 1 Conforama survival after succeeding Thierry Henry as coach.
Jardim replaced Henry in the Stade Louis II dugout in January, having himself been succeeded by the former French World Cup winner in October with the principality club bottom of the league, but he continued to enjoy the support of many at the club, having led them to the Ligue 1 Conforama title in 2017.
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Henry's former Arsenal teammate Fabregas has arrived from Chelsea in the interim, as well as veteran Brazilian centre-back Naldo from Schalke and left-back Fodé Ballo-Touré from LOSC.
Jardim continued to live in Monaco in his brief time away from the club, regularly bumping into his former players in public, but the new signings can rest assured that the he will depend on them, too.
"Everyone who's arrived will play a bit more," explained the Portuguese tactician. "We need 11 starters and four or five subs who have the same level. It's out of the question to completely rotate our starting line up from one day to the next."Teenage kicks
Monaco have used 31 players in the league so far this season, with 13 of those aged 21 or less. Whilst the bulk of those will return to the reserves, Jardim, who gave Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé his top-flight debut, retains his belief that if you're good enough, you're old enough.
"I only ask that the players have the right attitude." He said. "I want to talk about ambition and achieving our goals. The most important thing is to build up the players' confidence, because they have quality."
