Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique remains confident his team can reach the Champions League final, even if they are without key forward Ousmane Dembélé, who suffered a suspected hamstring injury during Tuesday’s 1-0 semifinal first-leg win over Arsenal.
Dembélé, who scored the decisive goal just four minutes into the match, was forced off in the 70th minute after pulling up and holding the back of his leg near the PSG bench. He was replaced by Bradley Barcola.
The French international has been instrumental in PSG’s run to the semifinals, but Luis Enrique emphasized that the team is built to perform collectively—regardless of individual absences.
“We’re going to try to get Dembélé back on the pitch,” said Enrique. “But we are a true team. If he’s available, great. If not, we’ll still show our strength as a team. That’s been our mindset since the beginning of the season.”
When asked about the severity of the injury, Enrique responded: “I don’t know yet. He’ll have tests tomorrow. It doesn’t appear serious—something minor—but he’s probably a doubt for the second leg.”
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma played a crucial role in preserving PSG’s lead, making important saves against Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. Late chances missed by Gonçalo Ramos and Barcola prevented the French champions from extending their advantage to 2-0.
Despite the narrow margin, Enrique—who guided Barcelona to Champions League glory in 2015—believes PSG can finish the job and secure a place in next month’s final in Munich.
“It’s a great result, but we still have another match to play,” he said. “It was a very emotional game and playing under that intensity isn’t easy. But it’s not over. We’ll need to control the match at home, with the support of our fans. We’ll be ready.”
With the Ligue 1 title already secured and a French Cup final on the horizon, PSG remain on course for a historic treble under Enrique’s leadership.
