Paris Saint-Germaine manager Luis Enrique says he’s unbothered about facing Marco Asensio in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinals against Aston Villa.
Asensio, who left PSG on loan during the winter window to Villa Park, will be in very familiar surroundings tonight as Les Parisien welcomes the Premier to the Parc des Princes in the money-spinning tournament.
The Spaniard is under contract at PSG but he will be wearing the shirt of their opponents on the night.
After struggling for game time under Luis Enrique this season, the Spaniard moved on loan during the January transfer window to the premier league side. He has hit the ground running, scoring eight goals in his first 11 games for the Premier League side.
The UEFA law allows players on loan to play against their parent club should they meet in the competition.
Speaking ahead of the match, Enrique addressed the situation and said this doesn’t bother him at all.
“I am delighted that he can play. He didn’t get the game time that he wanted here, and he had the option to go to Birmingham. It is good that he is playing.”
The former Barcelona boss also revealed that he shared lots of things with Asensio and the Spain national team, adding that he remains a very important player to him.
“He is a very high-class player. He was important at the start of the season, and I know him perfectly well,” he added.
Since Asensio’s loan deal to Villa Park does not include an option to make the deal permanent, he is expected to return to the French club in the summer and fight for his place again.
However, reports say PSG are open to cashing out on him as Aston Villa are keen on retaining the free-scoring Spaniard.
There are other clubs showing interest in the midfielder as well.
Since PSG looking to garner a substantial fee, the Paris club won’t say no to a good offer for a player they got on a free transfer from Real Madrid.