Bradley Barcola 'lacking a little confidence' as Liverpool gets timely boost

Liverpool has received a timely boost after Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique expressed doubt that Bradley Barcola would suit up for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie

Bradley Barcola's status for Wednesday's match against Liverpool remains in question(Image: Getty Images)

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique provided a health update on Bradley Barcola that will be music to Liverpool fans’ ears.

On Wednesday, PSG will host Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. Speaking to reporters ahead of the pivotal match, Enrique confirmed that Barcola could still be forced to sit out despite making brilliant strides in his rehabilitation from a recent health setback.

During the Parisians’ 3-0 victory over Chelsea in the last 16 of the Champions League on March 17, Barcola sprained his right ankle, which was expected to sideline him for multiple weeks. According to an official statement, the star winger suffered “severe ligament damage” and would be "unavailable in the coming weeks."

Yet against all odds, Barcola returned to full training on Tuesday upon making an incredibly speedy recovery. Even so, Enrique conceded that he will exert caution with the 23-year-old — who’s still “lacking a little confidence” — before thrusting him back onto the pitch.

"If he’s [Barcola] still unwell, he won’t play tomorrow,” Enrique said. “He had a partial training session yesterday 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.”

Barcola is far from the only player on PSG who’s inching closer towards a return. Midfielder Fabian Ruiz continues to recover from serious knee injury that’s sidelined him since a

continues his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury that has kept him out since PSG’s 2-1 defeat to Sporting CP on January 20. "Ruiz? That’s how it is,” Enrique continued. “When a player is injured, we have to wait and see how he feels.

Barcola returned to full training on Tuesday(Image: Getty Images)

“There are no problems. We’re working on getting the players back to full fitness. It’s normal to play through pain, but we’re still focused on giving the players the confidence to show their condition.

“He hasn’t trained yet. He’s progressing. We talk every day. We’re happy. He’s on the right track."

The major question marks surrounding Barcola and Ruiz are a welcome boost for Arne Slot, who’s facing growing calls for his job. Over the weekend, Liverpool surrendered a barrage of four goals to Manchester City in just a 20-minute span.

If the Reds are to find any success against PSG, Slot acknowledged that his club can’t unravel at the first sign of adversity. “There are only three or four days to go, so there are a few things you can do and one of the things we need to do if we play against Paris Saint-Germain or against Manchester City — teams of this level — you need to defend better than we did in the 20 minutes when we conceded the four goals,” he said.

“I think no one will probably remember it, but [in] the first 35 minutes, there was a lot to like from my team.

“It would be nice if we then can score a goal once in a while as well from the chances we create. And, again, we faced a team that was outperforming their xG by a mile. That’s what happens constantly.

“We every time are under that. If you want to have a chance of beating Paris Saint-Germain, you have to do both parts better. If you generate chances, you have to score. You cannot be so easily beaten with the four goals; three, because the penalty was between the other goals we conceded.”