Luis Enrique backs PSG signings to bring new energy ahead of Monaco's visit to the Parc des Princes

Paris Saint-Germain play their first home match of the season on Friday night against Monaco, the division's second-placed side and the only Ligue 1 team to have won both of their opening fixtures. Luis Enrique's men return to the Parc des Princes needing a victory after back-to-back league draws and a defeat in the Trophée des Champions. The Spanish coach puts the sluggish start down to a shorter-than-usual pre-season.

• PSG are back at the Parc des Princes after two league draws and a Trophée des Champions defeat to Lens.
• Monaco, coached by Filipe Luís, are the only Ligue 1 side with a 100 percent record so far.
• Luis Enrique blames a reduced pre-season for the uneven start and trusts the new arrivals to lift the team.
• The club has sold several squad players for more than €300 million and signed Ferran Torres, Maghnes Akliouche, Mika Godts and Lucas Digne.
• Bradley Barcola's departure, described by the coach as a special case, leaves more responsibility on the new faces.

PSG finally return home after a disrupted summer

The champions have had to wait longer than expected to play in front of their own fans. Their season opener was scheduled for the Parc des Princes against Rennes, but successive summer heatwaves left the pitch in such poor condition that the match was moved to Brittany. On top of that, the league swapped the home and away fixtures between the two clubs, meaning PSG had not set foot in their own stadium since last season.

The homecoming coincides with the rentrée, the period in early September when France goes back to school and back to the office. It was a fitting image for Luis Enrique, who joked in the press room after hearing journalists respond in unison to his greeting that it felt like being at school. On the eve of a fresh start at the Parc des Princes, the comparison felt especially apt.

Two draws and one defeat: the champions' slow start to the season

It has not been the start many expected from the reigning Ligue 1 champions. Since beating Aston Villa to lift the UEFA Super Cup, PSG have lost the Trophée des Champions to Lens and drawn their first two league matches, against Rennes and then away at Lille, where they needed a stoppage-time equaliser to salvage a point.

The late comebacks have masked underwhelming displays against mid-tier opponents. Ferran Torres came off the bench to score twice on his debut and rescue a draw against Rennes, while another late strike earned a share of the points in Lille. Lucas Digne admitted after an open training session that the squad had a shorter pre-season than usual, and that it has shown. It is not an excuse, the full-back said, but it is an observation.

Luis Enrique backs his new signings to revive PSG

Now in his fourth season in Paris, Luis Enrique is projecting calm. He brushed aside talk of concern despite three matches without a win and made clear the immediate target is beating a Monaco side that won at the Parc des Princes last year. Asked when his team would be at their best, he said it depends on factors beyond his control; his job, he added, is simply to pick the best eleven for each game.

Those players were important in our quest for trophies, but we needed new energy in the team.

That push for renewal is reflected in a busy transfer window. The starting line-up has remained untouched, but almost all of the supporting cast has changed: Gonçalo Ramos, Lee Kang-in, Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye have left for a combined fee above €300 million. Ferran Torres, Maghnes Akliouche, Mika Godts and Lucas Digne have arrived to fill those gaps and bring a fresh spark.

Bradley Barcola's exit and what the summer arrivals bring

Of all the departures, Bradley Barcola's is the hardest to replace. Luis Enrique described it as a special case, noting that the France international grew enormously during his three years in the capital and helped the team develop with him. The winger wanted a bigger role, something no coach can promise to any player, and the club had to accept his decision. The Spaniard wished him well and recalled how popular he was in the dressing room.

The new arrivals, however, all pointed to the chance to work under Luis Enrique as a decisive factor in joining. Ferran Torres, who played for him at international level, called him something of a footballing father. The former Barcelona man is eager to repay that faith and insisted he is happy to play wherever needed. Belgian winger Mika Godts, meanwhile, highlighted the coach's love of versatile players and said he is ready to feature on either flank, as a number ten or even as a striker.

Monaco and Filipe Luís pose the toughest early test

Friday's visitors arrive in the best possible shape. Monaco have won both of their league matches so far and made a statement last week by beating Marseille with a brace from Paris Brunner, one of the breakout stars of the early season. Despite a chaotic end to the transfer window, Filipe Luís' side look like the sternest test yet for a PSG team still searching for rhythm.

The match will also mark the debut of the newly laid Parc des Princes pitch. With the fans back in their seats and a high-flying opponent in town, it is hard to imagine a more appealing occasion for Luis Enrique's new and old pupils to show that the bet on fresh energy is already paying off.