Luis Enrique said Paris Saint-Germain can reach the Champions League final with or without match-winning goalscorer Ousmane Dembélé after the forward limped out of Tuesday’s 1-0 semifinal first-leg win at Arsenal with a suspected hamstring injury.
Dembélé, whose fourth-minute goal settled the first leg in PSG’s favor, was replaced by substitute Bradley Barcola on 70 minutes after sitting down and clutching the back of his leg in front of the PSG bench.
Former Barcelona forward Dembélé has been crucial to PSG’s run to the semifinals, but Luis Enrique said that his team are still capable of completing the job in the second leg even if the France international fails to recover in time.
“We’re going to try to get Dembélé back on the pitch,” Luis Enrique said. “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.”
When pressed on the extent of the injury, the PSG coach added: “I don’t know. He’ll undergo tests tomorrow. It’s not serious, it’s something very minor, but he’s probably a doubt for the second leg.”
Dembélé himself also downplayed the situation, telling L’Equipe after the match: “I felt a little something, but it’s OK.”
PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made key saves from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard to keep his side ahead before late misses by Gonçalo Ramos and Barcola denied the French champions a 2-0 win.
But Luis Enrique, who won the Champions League as Barcelona coach in 2015, is confident his team can beat Arsenal over the two legs to clinch a place in next month’s final in Munich.
“It’s a great result, but there’s one more game left,” the PSG coach said. “It was a very emotional match and it’s difficult to play with that feeling.
“But it’s not over yet. We have to think about controlling the match. We have to play at home with the fans, we’ll be ready.”
PSG have already clinched the Ligue 1 title and are in the finals of the French Cup as Luis Enrique’s side looks to win a treble this season.
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