Christophe Galtier has said it is still too early to know whether Lionel Messi will be at Paris Saint-Germain next season, but praised the World Cup winner for his attitude.
Messi's deal at the Parc des Princes expires at the end of the season, with rumours swirling about a move back to Barcelona or to Major League Soccer.
The Argentina international has 18 goals and 17 assists in 31 games for PSG this season, but came in for criticism for his performances in their Champions League last-16 elimination to Bayern Munich.
"I know that Leo Messi and the board have been in talks," Galtier said at a press conference on Friday. "At the moment I am staying focused on the team and the upcoming matches.
"As for whether Leo Messi will be here next season or not, I have said that it is about desire. I know people are discussing it but Leo Messi is happy in the dressing room.
"He has 18 goals and 17 assists this season. I know there was some criticism about the [Champions League] game against Bayern Munich, but he wasn't the only one.
"He is able to be decisive, and he has often done so this season. He is among the best assist providers and he scores goals. Given his conduct in the dressing room every day, given his age, he still trains every day and is always happy to play and get his team-mates playing.
"As for his future, it is too early to know what will happen."
Galtier was also asked about whether Kylian Mbappe would be in consideration to be PSG's captain in future, with France head coach Didier Deschamps revealing on Thursday that he was under consideration to lead his national team following the retirement of Hugo Lloris.
"I don't know about that," Galtier said. "Kylian Mbappe has worn the armband in recent weeks [in the absence of the injured Marquinhos]. It is his sixth season here. He is one of our vice-captains. He wears the armband naturally but other players can do so too."
PSG host Rennes on Sunday with a 10-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 and 11 games remaining, and Galtier believes his team is focused on doing their job to ensure they get over the line.
"It is not about motivation, it is about objectives," he said. "We are not champions yet. We have a 10-point lead, that's true, but the next four games plus internationals, we have Rennes on Sunday, Nice and Lens, they are teams fighting to get into Europe.
"Our squad is struggling at the moment in terms of injuries. If we think the job is done, that would be a big mistake.
"Do I need to find extra motivation for my players? No. We know we haven't won the league yet and things can change quickly, so we should get wins under our belt... the only motivation we have is to become champions for an 11th time."
Coventry City 2-3 Hull City: Tigers win five-goal thriller to keep play-off hopes alive
Hull City kept their hopes of gatecrashing the Championship play-offs alive with a thrilling 3-2 win over beaten FA Cup semi-finalists Coventry City on Wednesday.
Noah Ohio scored the winner with his first touch after coming on as a second-half substitute as Hull moved within three points of sixth-placed Norwich City with two games to play.
Coventry, meanwhile, saw their own hopes of returning to Wembley Stadium for a second successive play-off final all but ended, as they sit six points further back with three matches remaining.
Three days on from their remarkable comeback against Manchester United, the Sky Blues twice fought back to level things at Coventry Building Society Arena. Jaden Philogene's shot squirmed under goalkeeper Bradley Collins to put Hull ahead 31 minutes in, but Kasey Palmer levelled within five minutes with a stunning free-kick.
Hull went back ahead in controversial circumstances on the stroke of half-time, Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho converting from the penalty spot despite replays showing Joel Latibeaudiere's foul on Liam Delap took place outside the area.
Mark Robins' men again dragged themselves back into the game as Bobby Thomas headed Jay Dasilva's cross in just before the hour mark, but it was Liam Rosenior's visitors who found a winner.
Thomas went from hero to villain as his poor back pass sold Collins short, and Ohio got a toe to the ball to score the winner, keeping Hull's hopes of Premier League football intact.
Van Dijk: Liverpool have 'no chance' in title race after derby defeat
Virgil van Dijk conceded Liverpool might be out of the Premier League title race after they suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat to Everton in Wednesday's Merseyside derby.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in either half to give the Toffees their first win over Liverpool at Goodison Park since 2010.
Liverpool struggled to find a way through the Toffees' defence despite dominating for long periods, and the Reds' captain says they will not outlast Arsenal and Manchester City without major improvements.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Van Dijk said: "If we play like today, then we have no chance to consider ourselves in the title race.
"We have to just focus on the next game and that will be a tough one anyway, so we will see.
"We're very disappointed, in so many ways. I think everyone has to look at their own performances. Did they really give everything, and do they really want to win the league?
"We're still fighting and there are still games after tonight, but if we play like we did overall in the game today – not winning challenges and giving the referee a chance to give free-kicks like he did many times, then you have no chance to win the title."
Howe: Newcastle performance in Palace defeat 'way off' Spurs win
Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle United's performance in the 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Wednesday was "way off" the one that saw them thump Tottenham in their previous game.
Howe's men hammered Spurs 4-0 in their last match, but they never got close to matching the attacking verve from that outing and a Jean-Philippe Mateta double condemned the Magpies to defeat at Selhurst Park.
Newcastle didn't even manage a shot on target until the 87th minute, accumulating just 0.42 xG (expected goals) as the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon struggled to make an impact.
Only against Manchester City in August (one) have Newcastle recorded fewer shots on target in a Premier League game this season than their two against Palace, and Howe was critical of his team's display in the loss, one that all but ends their hopes of finishing in the top four.
"[It is a] bad day for us," Howe told Newcastle's club media.
"I thought we were disappointing today, especially in the first 60 minutes. We were way off our levels against Tottenham and our best levels.
"I thought technically we didn't deliver a good performance, and out of possession I don't think it was a particularly good performance either."
Newcastle were unlocked twice for Mateta to score by a Palace side who themselves only generated 0.88 xG.
Howe was left frustrated by the manner in which his side conceded, adding: "I think we'll be disappointed with our performance technically today, and that's probably epitomised by the two goals where we're disappointed with how we've given them the ball in those situations and then how we defended.
"I think the goals sum up aspects of our performance where there was some good, lots of moments that could have led to opportunities, but we were slow to shoot around the box," he said.
The defeat, combined with Manchester United's 4-2 win over Sheffield United, means Newcastle drop to seventh, while eighth-placed West Ham are two points behind with a game in hand.
Newcastle have now lost eight of their last 11 Premier League away games, while they have lost on four occasions in London in the league this term, only doing so more times in a Premier League season in 2000-01 and 2005-06 (both five).
It's been a disappointing season for Howe and his side, especially compared to the heroics of last term when Newcastle finished in the top four, and the Magpies boss knows there's work to be done to get back to those levels.
"It's a day that we have to take our punishment, deal with it, and then try and improve," Howe continued. "It's frustrating because we know we're capable of much better."
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