Instead of football, the major topic ahead of the Champions League second-round derby is Ousmane Dembélé, a man who won’t even be part of the match. He won’t be because Luis Enrique said so. The Paris Saint-Germain coach decided not to include the speedy French winger on the list of players traveling for the away game against Arsenal in London, weakening his team for what is arguably the toughest challenge of the season so far. Dembélé arguably had the best start of the season in a long time. In nine matches across all competitions for club and country, he has recorded five goals and four assists. However, recent days have seen some disagreements between the coach and the player. At the end of the game against Girona, where he missed several chances, Dembélé visibly expressed his displeasure when Enrique decided to substitute him. In the following match against Reims, he started on the bench, and after Friday’s match against Rennes, he reportedly had a heated argument with the Spanish coach, which led to his exclusion from the squad.Gunners reloading their strongest weapon for the clash against high-flying PSG“If someone doesn’t respect the team’s obligations or requirements, it means they’re not ready. In such an important week, with such a crucial match ahead, I want my players to be in the best possible condition. That’s why I sidelined him, as my goal is to work for the team. Do you think it’s easy to create a team? It’s not! Building a team requires certain conditions, which can be tough. Yesterday, I had to make the difficult decision to leave Dembélé out of the squad, but I believe it’s the best decision without any doubt, and I would make it again 100 times. That doesn’t mean the situation is irreparable. But in my opinion, this is the best decision for now” Enrique emphasized at the press conference.Enrique’s decision: No Dembele against ArsenalHe added that he had the full support of the club for his decision.“Of course, I’ve been backed by the management, supported by the sporting director and the club president because they brought me here to build a team, and that’s what I’m going to do – build a team. Of course, with Ousmane Dembélé included. If anyone doubts it after all this, Dembélé is part of my team. I have nothing to add to what I’ve already said. Journalists have enough details. I’m very honest; I don’t want to make this a saga. There wasn’t any argument between Dembélé and me; that’s untrue. There was a problem with the player’s responsibility to the team, but not an issue between the player and the coach. Nothing more”.Pep declares ‘war’ on Arsenal after recent commentsThe decision surprised Arsenal’s coach Mikel Arteta, who didn’t hide that a significant part of his match preparation focused on Dembélé.“I heard the news just before the start of the conference and yes – I was surprised. I don’t know what happened, but we’ve already done a lot of preparation for the match against Paris Saint-Germain, naturally, with Dembélé in the team because he’s one of their key players. He has the ability to do something unexpected, to create those magical moments. Let’s wait and see who will replace him” Arteta stated.Enrique: ‘Barca play like Eibar, Mbappe doesn‘t defend‘According to reports from L’Équipe, that replacement will be Kang-in Lee, the South Korean forward, who played as the main striker against Rennes. This time, he will operate on the wing, with Marco Asensio, who has recovered from a thigh injury, taking on the false nine role. Asensio is set to start for the first time since the match against Girona. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Nuno Mendes are also expected to return to the starting lineup, while Vitinha and Désiré Doué, who weren’t part of the squad for the Rennes game, have also been included in the squad traveling to London.Jesus, that would be quite a shocking move!On the other hand, Arsenal struggled over the weekend against Leicester, securing the win with goals in stoppage time. Tonight’s match gives the London team the perfect opportunity to demonstrate their quality on the European stage. Mikel Arteta’s team opened their Champions League campaign with a hard-fought draw against Atalanta (0-0), and the match against PSG will be a chance to impress the football world against a true European heavyweight. Last season, they failed to do so, getting knocked out in the quarterfinals by a “weaker-than-ever” Bayern, while the group stage didn’t offer many challenges (PSV, Lens, Sevilla). The only previous meetings between the two teams occurred in the group stage of Europe’s elite competition in 2016, with both matches ending in a draw. However, both clubs have undergone significant changes since then, especially Arsenal, which has become a trophy-contender since Mikel Arteta’s arrival.“I have fond memories of Arteta as a teammate. He had a complete playing career, which ended very successfully, and his coaching career started in a similar way. We haven’t had the chance to face each other yet, but it will be nice to chat with him, even for five minutes before the match. He’s one of the best coaches on the market right now; he’s turned Arsenal into a club competing for trophies again. He’s a great coach and a great person” Enrique praised Arteta.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 2Tuesday19:45: (1.80) Salzburg (3.60) Brest (4.60)19:45: (1.45) Stuttgart (4.50) Sparta Praha (7.00)22:00: (1.75) Leverkusen (3.70) Milan (4.70)22:00: (1.50) Dortmund (4.30) Celtic (6.50)22:00: (1.10) Barcelona (11.0) Young Boys (18.0)22:00: (1.20) Inter (7.75) Crvena Zvezda (18.0)22:00: (1.85) Arsenal (3.70) PSG (4.70)22:00: (35.0) Slovan B. (14.0) Man.City (1.05)22:00: (2.60) PSV (3.50) Sporting (2.80)Wednesday19:45: (2.10) Girona (3.60) Feyenoord (3.60)19:45: (5.30) Shakhtar (3.60) Atalanta (1.70)22:00: (5.30) Dinamo Zagreb (3.60) Monaco (1.70)22:00: (6.00) Lille (4.10) Real Madrid (1.55)22:00: (3.00) Benfica (3.45) Atl.Madrid (2.50)22:00: (4.60) Aston Villa (3.80) Bayern (1.75)22:00: (2.40) RB Leipzig (3.45) Juventus (3.15)22:00: (1.20) Liverpool (6.75) Bologna (14.0)22:00: (2.80) Sturm (3.40) Club Brugge (2.65)***odds are subject to change***
