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18 hours ago
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PSG are gearing up for an enticing clash against Bayer Leverkusen in their recent Champions League fixture at the BayArena on Tuesday.
The Parisians have won their first two matches in the tournament against Atalanta and Barcelona despite being marauded with injury concerns.
However, since the Barcelona win, PSG have struggled to eke out results as they played out consecutive draws against Lille and Strasbourg in Ligue 1 heading into Leverkusen.
In these games, new signing Lucas Chevalier has received massive criticism as fans and pundits have called out the French goalkeeper for his performances.
Ahead of the Leverkusen clash, the topic was raised again, and PSG boss Luis Enrique stood firm and backed the young Frenchman.
"For me he’s one of the best options, if not the best," Enrique told the reporters ahead of the Champions League fixture.
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"He has shown personality. When you are the PSG goalkeeper, you have to learn to live with the criticism. I like Lucas’s mentality and the level he’s showing. We are very confident he’ll be important for years to come."
Before the French goalkeeper joined PSG, Gianluigi Donnarumma was the first choice for Enrique but even the Italian was subject to rampant criticism despite helping the Ligue 1 outfit win the Champions League last season.
Enrique compared Chevalier's current situation with how Donnarumma was treated by the media. "I think you don’t remember how many years you criticized Gigio Donnarumma. For four years, you killed him sportingly."
Following Chevalier's move to PSG, he was preferred over the Italian, therefore Donnarumma decided to move to Manchester City with the sole intention of playing regularly.
What did Enrique say about Dembele's return?
PSG have been extremely shorthanded with injuries to players like Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
However, the best update ahead of the Leverkusen match was Dembele's availability along with Marquinhos and Doue, who returned to fitness against Strasbourg.
Speaking about Dembele's return, Enrique brushed aside the Ballon d'Or talk and only spoke about his availability, "You’re very preoccupied with the Ballon d’Or. It’s Ousmane Dembele, not the Ballon d’Or. We’re happy to have him back."
Despite a great start to their Champions League campaign, Enrique's men are second in Ligue 1 points table behind Roberto De Zerbi's Olympique de Marseille.
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