Luis Enrique saw his team lose on SaturdayLuis Enrique saw his team lose on Saturday
Luis Enrique saw his team lose on Saturday | AFP via Getty Images
PSG have suffered another injury issue just days before their Champions League clash with Arsenal.
Arsenal know they will be up against it at a raucous Parc des Princes, and their season is on the line. If the Gunners cannot keep their Champions League dream alive, they will end the season with no silverware at all.
The Gunners have shown they can put on a big away leg performance this season, already beating Real Madrid away from home in the second leg of their quarter-final. But PSG are one of the best teams in Europe currently, only losing twice in Ligue 1 this term, and they too are chasing their first-ever Champions League title.
For the first leg, PSG didn’t have any injury issues, but they will go into the second with at least three. Presnel Kimpembe has already been ruled out, sidelined for a few weeks, while match-winner Ousmane Dembélé limped off in the first leg and will be a doubt after suffering what was later confirmed as a hamstring issue.
Now, in a fresh blow, fellow PSG attacker Lee Kang-in has suffered an ankle injury, according to L’Equipe, and he will be a doubt for the Arsenal game. PSG lost their second game of the season on Saturday, coming up short against Strasbourg, although the only other game they lost came in the game before the Arsenal game.
PSG rested plenty of players for the game, and asked about that decision after the game, Luis Enrique said: “Each has its own way of managing its squad and its schedule. Arsenal's situation and ours are different. Everyone does what they think is best for their team; I don't have much to add. I don't know what's best. Mr. Arteta has his way of working, Mr. Luis Enrique has his. You have to adjust the matches according to the schedule. They had rest periods when we didn't. But everyone is looking to take advantage of their situation; there's no doubt about that.”
The PSG boss said he was satisfied with his team’s performance despite the defeat, adding: “I am very satisfied with the way my team played. We were facing an opponent who is aiming for the qualifying places for the Champions League , strong physically and technically.
“We played a very high-level match, with four young players in the training (at kick-off) . We finished with five players in the training, very young. I am satisfied with what I saw. Ligue 1 is a high-level championship. Now, we have to enter this immersion phase for the coming week.”
PSG have already won the Ligue 1 title, so their fans won’t be too bothered about the defeat, especially with the Champions League now the clear priority after their unbeaten campaign was ruined before the first leg. The Parisiens are expecting a sell-out crowd for the Arsenal game.
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