Luis Enrique Defends Ousmane Dembélé's Rest Amid PSG Pressure

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has defended his decision to rest star player Ousmane Dembélé, acknowledging the "noise" that often surrounds difficult choices at the club. Speaking ahead of the team's Ligue 1 match against Lille, Enrique stated that Dembélé, along with other key players like Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé, has been given time off to recover.

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I know that every difficult decision is accompanied by noise around PSG.

Enrique described Dembélé as an "essential player" of a "very high level" who made a "great effort" to be available for the recent Super Cup matches. He stressed that resting players is not new and has been done in previous seasons. The coach indicated that Dembélé made a "good decision" to take this break, which will be necessary throughout the season for various players.

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I am a great admirer of Ousmane Dembélé, an essential player, of a very high level.

Despite the external pressure and media attention, Enrique asserted his confidence in his management strategy. "I know that every difficult decision is accompanied by noise around PSG," he said, "It's not because we think a player hasn't played well or that there are better solutions in a match... It's normal, we are a team, we have to accept it." He assured that players are accustomed to his methods and that the team is on the right track.

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He made a great effort to be available for the Super Cups.

The coach also briefly touched upon the situation of Bradley Barcola, who is reportedly close to joining Liverpool. Enrique stated that while Barcola trained on Thursday morning, he did not elaborate further on the transfer speculation, focusing instead on the team's preparation for the upcoming Ligue 1 fixture and their long-term goals, including the Champions League.

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It's not because we think a player hasn't played well or that there are better solutions in a match... It's normal, we are a team, we have to accept it.