Paris Saint-Germain will begin their bid to retain the Uefa Super Cup against Aston Villa on Wednesday, with Luis Enrique warning that the season curtain-raiser is unlikely to produce a game of the highest quality.
PSG won the trophy for the first time last season after beating Tottenham Hotspur on penalties, completing a memorable campaign in which they finally lifted the Uefa Champions League.
They now face Europa League winners Villa in Salzburg, but Enrique's preparations have been severely disrupted by the World Cup, with 15 of his players involved in the tournament.
Spain midfielder Fabian Ruiz returned as a world champion, while five France internationals were part of the squad that reached the semi-finals.
"The internationals have only just come back," Enrique told reporters on Tuesday. "Some of our players have barely trained but the ones who have will play tomorrow.
"In terms of a top-level game tomorrow, it will be difficult to see that. In terms of preparation, this is not how it should be."
PSG must also defend the French Super Cup against Lens on Sunday, but Enrique insists his priority is ensuring his players are in peak condition when the campaign reaches its decisive stages.
"We want to be in the best condition at the end of the season, rather than at the start of the season," he said.
The French champions have also been drawn into controversy surrounding the wider football world, but Enrique declined to comment on the latest dispute involving Fifa and Uefa.
"I focus on my team, my players, the transfer window," he said. "That is for politicians. I am not a politician."
PSG were also reportedly unhappy after initially being allocated the smaller away dressing room in Salzburg, with an additional room provided for the French club.
For Villa, Wednesday's match represents another landmark in their remarkable resurgence under Unai Emery.
Villa ended a 30-year wait for major silverware last season by beating Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final. The victory secured a record-extending fifth Europa League title for Emery and was Villa's first major trophy since the 1996 League Cup.
It also marked their first continental success since their European Cup triumph against Bayern Munich in 1982, followed by victory over Barcelona in the Super Cup.
"We want to build our own mentality," Emery said. "We want more. We are not stopping here."
Yet Villa arrive in Austria with a squad significantly different from the one that delivered their European triumph.
Youri Tielemans has joined Manchester United and Morgan Rogers has moved to Chelsea, while Jadon Sancho and Douglas Luiz have also departed. Lucas Digne has joined PSG.
Injuries have added to Emery's problems, with Amadou Onana and new signing Johan Manzambi unavailable.
England defender Ezri Konsa, striker Ollie Watkins and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez are also absent after their involvement at the World Cup.
"PSG are in the same situation as us," Emery said. "Tomorrow we will start with the players we have and we hope to get a good result with the capacity that we have."
