Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique has revealed that Ousmane Dembele is a doubt for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Arsenal due to the issue that he suffered on Tuesday night.
Dembele scored the only goal of the match at the Emirates Stadium, as PSG recorded a 1-0 victory over the Gunners in the first leg of their last-four contest in the European Cup.
The 27-year-old has been in red-hot form for the French giants this season, scoring 33 goals and registering 12 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions, including eight goals and three assists in 13 Champions League matches.
However, the France international had to be replaced in the 70th minute of Tuesday’s clash after picking up an injury, and Enrique has said that the ex-Barcelona attacker is now a doubt for the second leg next week.
“He’ll undergo tests tomorrow. It’s not serious, it’s something very minor, but he’s probably a doubt for the second leg,” said the PSG head coach, with a final decision unlikely to be made until the start of next week.
“We’re going to try to get Dembele back on the pitch. But we’re a real team. If Ousmane can play, that’s better. But if he doesn’t, we’ll still be a real team. We’ve been saying that since the start of the season.”
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Dembele a doubt for PSG’s return fixture with Arsenal
Enrique also hailed the PSG fans for their support on the night, with those following the French champions creating an incredible noise inside the stadium.
“We’re thinking about how difficult this match was, because the atmosphere in the stadium was incredible. But I think we showed our true mentality, we got off to a good start and we gave ourselves confidence,” said the manager.
“I think it’s a great moment for us, but we need to recover and think about the next match. The return leg will be difficult and tight. But we’re very happy and I think we gave our fans something to cheer about: the joy of seeing our mentality and our ambition to play in every game.
“There are a lot of emotions tonight, but I think we should really enjoy the support of our fans, because they’re incredible every time. Today there were 2,500 of them and everyone felt their support for the team.
“We know it will be difficult, that there will be moments of suffering, but with the support of our fans and with the character we’ve displayed, we will show what a real team we are. We’re happy but we can improve. Everyone needs to know that.”
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What next for Arsenal, PSG?
Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League this season have now ended, but the Gunners still have work to do in order to claim a top-five position in the Premier League table to secure Champions League action for next term.
Mikel Arteta‘s side will continue their league season at home to Bournemouth in Saturday’s late start.
PSG, meanwhile, secured this season’s Ligue 1 title at the start of April, meaning that Enrique can once again shuffle his pack for the league fixture against Strasbourg on Saturday afternoon in order to prepare for the return fixture with Arsenal next Wednesday.
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