Luis Enrique not taking 'any risks' with Ousmane Dembele as PSG boss airs frustration over suffering 'three or four' injuries per game

Enrique has stood firm on his decision to prioritise player health over immediate availability, specifically regarding Dembele. Following a bruising Champions League play-off encounter against Monaco, the winger has been labelled a fitness doubt, and the manager is unwilling to exacerbate any lingering issues despite the pressure of the domestic campaign.

The PSG boss noted that the medical staff is monitoring the Frenchman closely to avoid a long-term layoff. With the business end of the season approaching, Enrique is keen to have his most explosive assets available for the final sprint rather than risking a setback in a single league fixture.

"He had received a blow," Enrique explained at a press conference. "We know the players perfectly and we do not want to take risks. We seek to manage each player in the best way. Injuries are part of high-level football and you have to know how to take that into account."

The reigning champions find themselves in an unusual predicament, hampered by a medical room that rarely empties. Enrique admitted that his trademark tactical flexibility has been stifled this term, as he simply does not have the depth of healthy personnel required to maintain his preferred rotation policy.

The Spaniard highlighted that the sheer volume of absences has forced him to lean heavily on a core group of players, leading to concerns over burnout. This shift in circumstances has made the current campaign significantly more challenging than his previous years at the Parc des Princes.

"What has changed my mentality this season is the number of injuries we've had," the manager admitted. "I can't change many players because we've had an average of three or four players injured per match. I can rotate my team less. This year, you have to know how to look for the best way to manage. It's a different scenario from the last two seasons."

He added: "First of all, it's difficult to compare [this season to last]. This year is unusual, and I don't want to make excuses. I can't rotate the squad as much. But I think this team has shown resilience since I've been here. You can see how we tackle problems. That kind of resilience is hard to come by, but we have it."

The Spanish coach also responded to comments made by Dembele after last Friday's shock 3-1 Ligue 1 defeat to Rennes, which saw the champions lose top spot to Lens. The Frenchman appeared to accuse his teammates of being too individualistic and that the team had lost some of what helped them become European champions last season. Their Champions League title defence almost took a hit in midweek, too, as they fell 2-0 behind Monaco in the first leg of the play-off tie, only for Desire Doue, who replaced Dembele, to inspire a comeback with two second-half goals. Achraf Hakimi provided the other goal in a 3-2 win for the visitors.

"The players' statements after the match are worthless. Absolutely worthless," Enrique said on Monday. "[So] are the coaches' statements, but the players' statements are worthless. I'm not going to answer any question from a player, any response from a player. I will never allow any player to be above the club.

"I am the person responsible for the team. I will not allow any player to think that he is more important than the club. Not me, not the sporting director, not the president. So these statements are worthless. They are the result of anger after a match, and I think that's clear.

"We have nothing to lose. I think this team has shown resilience since I've been here. We can see how we face problems. This resilience is difficult to have but we have it. In the last match, our team was losing 2-0 and was able to win. The way we played was incredible."

The immediate focus for PSG shifts to their upcoming clash against bottom-of-the-table Metz. Despite the opponent's lowly ranking, Enrique warned that he may be unable to rest overworked stars like Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery due to the necessity of keeping pace with league leaders Lens.

"Warren and Vitinha are the players who have played the most minutes this season. I'm thinking of giving them a rest, but we have to beat Metz," he said. "Every time we've played them, there have been problems, and there will be problems tomorrow. I'd like to give them a rest, but it will be difficult."

PSG find themselves in a rare chasing position, with Lens showing no signs of slowing down. This has turned every remaining fixture into a "must-win" scenario, leaving little room for error or experimental lineups as they fight to retain their crown.

"It’s a very important match, we have to put pressure on Lens," Enrique concluded. "Lens has shown they're a real team that has won a lot of matches. They deserve to be there, and that's motivating for us. We've talked amongst ourselves about how difficult it will be to win this championship. We're on the same trajectory as the last two years, but they've increased their number of wins. We'll have to win a lot of matches to win this championship."