Blanc wants Cavani and Lavezzi to bounce back

Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc wants Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi to respond following their enforced suspension.

Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc has urged Edinson Cavani and Laurent Blanc to bounce back and put their three-game omission behind them in the second half of the season.

The South American duo were left out of the last three matches by Blanc after missing PSG’s mid-season training camp in Morocco and then reporting late to their first session on French soil.

PSG beat Montpellier in the Coupe de France and Saint-Etienne in the Coupe de la Ligue despite their absence, but lost 4-2 at Bastia in the league last Saturday.

Blanc confirmed that the pair are available for selection for Sunday’s visit of Evian and has called on them to display their quality after drawing the ire of the PSG hierarchy.

“Nothing is forgotten,” Blanc said. “They are two important players, we did what we had to do.

“They must accept their stupidity. Now I rely on them to make a great second half of the season.”

The capital club are winless in their last three league games and sit four points adrift of leaders Lyon in fourth place.

Despite their disappointing recent form, Blanc believes that the return to full fitness of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will help PSG turn things around.

“They [Silva and Ibrahimovic] have never been so fit, I think that’s why there is hope and determination,” he added.

“These are the leaders who lead the team to the highest level.

“When your leaders are in this configuration, you know you can count on them.”