- Liverpool face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals
- The first leg takes place at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Wednesday
- Luis Enrique is sweating over the fitness of Bradley Barcola
Luis Enrique has provided the latest update on Bradley Barcola ahead of the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final tie between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool.
The Reds will lock horns with the reigning European champions in one of the most exciting quarter-final ties, with the first leg at the Parc des Princes in the French capital on Wednesday, 8 April.
There is a lot of pressure on Arne Slot ahead of the tie, as the Merseyside-based club go into the clash on the back of a humiliating 4-0 loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday, 4 April.
He will be without Alisson, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo, but he has a major boost in the shape of Alexander Isak.
The Swede stepped up his return from injury last week, taking part in team training ahead of the trip to Manchester.
With a few more sessions under his belt, Isak, who trained with the rest of the squad on Tuesday (7 April), looks set to make his first appearance since December on Wednesday.
Barcola return to PSG training
As for PSG, there have been a lot of talk about the availability of Barcola.
The France international has been sidelined with an injury since Les Parisiens‘ 3-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie on 17 March.
Barcola, 23, has since missed PSG’s league games against Nice and Toulouse, with the latter happening at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.
In a major boost for Enrique, Fabrizio Romano reported on Tuesday morning that the attacker has returned to team training ahead of the clash with Liverpool.
However, reliable French reporter Fabrice Hawkins then quashed any suggestions of Barcola featuring against the Reds.
The RMC Sport journalist stated that the former Lyon ace will not be in the squad to face Slot’s men, but added that he is recovering faster than expected.
Therefore, Barcola could be in line to face the Merseyside-based club when PSG visit Anfield for the second leg next week.
Enrique confirms Barcola status ahead of PSG v Liverpool
Meanwhile, Enrique held his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon and provided a clear update on Barcola.
The former Barcelona boss revealed that the youngster has had a full training session with the rest of the squad, suggesting that he is not entirely ruled out for the game on Wednesday.
The Spaniard told a press conference (7 April): “If he’s still unwell, he won’t play tomorrow. He had a partial training session yesterday [Monday, 6 April] and a full session today. He’s coming back. We’re finding the best conditions. He’ll tell us when he’s ready. He’s lacking a little confidence.”
With or without Barcola, PSG will be confident about their chances of beating Liverpool in the tie.
Apart from the Reds’ woeful form, the French giants have been given other advantages.
For example, they have had their Ligue 1 match against RC Lens this weekend postponed to help them prepare for the return leg at Anfield next Tuesday, 14 April.
This is despite Lens protesting against the decision.
