Pochettino replaced Thomas Tuchel as PSG coach at the start of the year, overseeing two wins and a draw before being waylaid by COVID-19, with Perez taking his place in the dugout for Saturday's 1-0 victory at Angers SCO.

Mbappé struggles?

Mbappé remains the joint-top scorer in Ligue 1 Uber Eats this season - on 12, alongside Stade de Reims's Boulaye Dia - but he has only added one assist to his account since Pochettino took over, with some suggesting the 22-year-old looked tired with the glut of games. Perez was quick to defend his performances at the pre-match press conference, though.

Watch: Highlights of PSG's victory over Angers

"I've already been asked about him after Angers," he said of the French FIFA World Cup winner, who was subbed off for Pablo Sarabia with 10 minutes to go. "He remains the same for us, namely an oh so important and decisive player. He was particularly decisive in our victory in Angers. He continues to train perfectly, to give the maximum. We're very happy with him."

Poch philosophy

Paris used Pochettino's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation at the Stade Raymond Kopa - the same system the Argentine used to steer Tottenham Hotspur to the UEFA Champions League final in 2019 - and Spaniard Perez scoffed at suggestions he may go rogue on Friday.

"Mauricio's a strong and positive person," he said. "Despite everything he still performs his duties from home. He's not so obvious but he still contributes to monitoring training. He's suffering with coronavirus; we're concerned for him, but he's taken care of perfectly. He's in a good state of mind. There are constraints, but thanks to everyone's support, he's doing well."