Bradley Barcola has a chance of playing in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League match against Liverpool, while Victor Ruiz will miss the first leg of the quarter-final.
During Tuesday’s pre-match press conference, Luis Enrique revealed Barcola’s progress, stating that the player had returned to full training earlier than expected after suffering an ankle injury two months ago.
“He had a partial training session yesterday and a full one today. He’s on the road to recovery,” said the Spanish coach. “We’re creating the best possible conditions, and he’ll tell us when he’s ready.”
He added, “Barcola still lacks some confidence. Ultimately, if he’s still uncomfortable, he won’t play tomorrow, but we never take risks unless he’s mentally and physically ready to return.”
Regarding Ruiz, Enrique said, “Ruiz hasn’t trained yet, but he’s improving. We talk every day, and we’re happy that he’s progressing well.”
“That’s football,” he added. “When a player gets injured, we have to wait and see how he feels. There are no problems; we’re working on getting the players back to full fitness. It’s normal to play while feeling some pain, but our focus right now is on giving the players the confidence to show they’re ready.”
The reigning champions enter the Liverpool match at the top of Ligue 1 with 63 points after a resounding 3-1 victory over Toulouse on Friday. The league also agreed to postpone their match against Lens, originally scheduled for Saturday, to give Luis Enrique’s men ample time to prepare for the return leg at Anfield.
