Luis Enrique insists 'business as usual' for PSG despite Kvaratskhelia ACL blow
PSG face Lyon without key attackers after Champions League injury crisis
Paris Saint-Germain overcame Barcelona 4-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday, but the victory was overshadowed by injury blows to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele and Marquinhos.
Luis Enrique described the situation as "business as usual" ahead of the top-of-the-table Ligue 1 meeting with Lyon, which has been pushed back a day due to protests in the French capital.
Kvaratskhelia injury and Enrique's response
Kvaratskhelia faces a long spell out after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the 4-2 win over Barcelona. Dembele, last season's Ballon d'Or winner, was also a casualty in that win and is now expected to miss several weeks. Marquinhos also sustained an issue against Barca.
"It will be business as usual. I don't want to change anything I've done, but I also want to change," Luis Enrique told reporters. "That's what you have to do to remain unpredictable. It depends on the team and the time of year."
"It's true that losing three players in the same game is strange. It's a motivation for us as a team. We're moving on to improve."
Asked about Kvaratskhelia's state of mind, Enrique added:
"It's a tough injury. You think about the player, what he's going to go through. It's difficult, but you have to stay positive. When you're a professional player and you want to have a 10-15 year career, you have to have injuries. You have to try to find positive things, and there will be some. He is and will be very important for us. It's a risk to be a professional player. You have to accept the positive and negative things, that's life. You have to overcome this to show what kind of player he is. We'll see after the operation. He'll come back stronger, I have no doubt."
Players to watch vs Lyon
With Kvaratskhelia and Dembele absent, more onus will fall on Desire Doue to lead PSG's attack. Doue scored against Barcelona in midweek and has now been involved in 16 goals in his last 16 Champions League games.
For Lyon, Tyler Morton leads Ligue 1 this season for throughballs with eight, ahead of Doue on five. The former Liverpool man has created four chances this term but is yet to provide an assist or score.
Match context
Lyon are the current league leaders with 14 points from seven Ligue 1 matches this season. This is the joint-fewest points total for a leader at this stage in the three-points-for-a-win era since 1994-95.
Opta's model makes PSG favourites with a 62.9% win probability, draw 18.9% and Lyon 18.2%. PSG have lost three of their last six home games against Lyon in Ligue 1, as many defeats as they suffered in their previous 30 such encounters.
PSG have scored in their last 52 home Ligue 1 matches, 132 goals, since a 0-0 draw against Lorient in Luis Enrique's first game in charge in August 2023.