Luis Enrique held a press conference this Monday ahead of the Champions League match between Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Spanish coach came to the defense of Lucas Chevalier, who has been heavily criticized since the start of the season, and took the opportunity to take a jab at the press.

Luis Enrique also discussed the return of Ousmane Dembélé and praised Willian Pacho and Nuno Mendes. Below are his full remarks, as reported by our outlet.

You have the chance tomorrow to achieve three wins in three Champions League matches if you win. Should this competition be prioritized to secure qualification as soon as possible?

"What we are looking for is a bit of the same as last year: to get as many points as possible. Our group is very difficult and that is our objective. Tomorrow will be a good test for both teams and we are happy to have won the two previous matches, but tomorrow will be a different game."

Ousmane Dembélé is returning to the squad. What changes now that you can finally count on your Ballon d'Or winner?

"You are very preoccupied with the Ballon d'Or. It's Ousmane Dembélé, it's not the Ballon d'Or. He is the same person, the same player. He is a different player. We are very happy to have Ousmane Dembélé back, but also Marquinhos or Désiré Doué since last week. It is always important for the team, for the coach, for the players, to be able to turn around and have that option. This changes nothing because we need to know how they feel in today's training and tomorrow we will see."

Fabian Ruiz and João Neves are absent. What exactly do they have and have they suffered a relapse?

"I don't know. We will see the medical report. The first thing they must overcome is the medical report. And when the doctors and the players have confidence, this is reflected in the group. That moment has not yet arrived and we must wait. But we have very good news with the return of many players, three this week, and we are waiting for the rest of the players."

Pacho arrived more than a year ago. Did you know him when he played for Frankfurt and what impressed you immediately about his game and personality?

"We signed Pacho because we knew him. That is why we work a lot in the sporting direction and in the staff. We are happy when there are players like Pacho, who arrive and perform from the first matches. That is very nice and it's not the norm. I think he is very young and he can improve many things. He is very strong in defensive situations because he doesn't need to commit fouls to recover the ball. We are happy, even though he can still improve many things. He has the mentality a player needs to be decisive. We are happy, but we want to continue on this path all together."

You talk about players who perform immediately like Willian Pacho. Regarding Lucas Chevalier, what is your view on the start of his adventure at PSG? Do you speak with him? It's not easy to arrive at a European champion club, with different pressure. What is your view on his beginnings?

"Nothing. It's the same every year. I am very happy with Lucas Chevalier. For me, he is one of the best options or the best option. I am very happy with his performances and when we sign a player, we think long-term. He has personality, he shows it every day in training and in matches. You don't remember for how many years you criticized Gigio Donnarumma. I remember perfectly. For the last four years, you 'killed' Gigio Donnarumma sportingly. Please... I wasn't the PSG coach and I saw that you criticized Gianluigi Donnarumma all the time. When you are a goalkeeper for a club like PSG, you have to learn to live with that. What I can say about Lucas Chevalier is that I like his personality, his level as a player. We are very confident that he is going to be very important for the team for many years. That is the confidence we have in our player. The important thing is what I see from his performances and for me that is enough."

Your last Champions League trip to Barcelona made an impression on people. What did that match change internally? Did you feel that some players gained confidence? Was it an important moment in this start of the season?

"Of course. Clearly it's the right word: confidence. Many young players gained confidence. They played an important match and showed they have quality. For me, this start to the season has been very different, very difficult, because we overcame difficulties that we normally shouldn't have to overcome. But we showed resilience, confidence. Tomorrow is an important match for both teams, but especially for us, PSG, because in our group, the faster we can win points, the better. We will look to play as usual, not over-plan and think about winning the match, look to deserve to win it. It will be difficult."

You have undoubtedly studied this Leverkusen team, which is less flashy on paper than Barça. What have you identified about this Leverkusen team?

"It is difficult to assess Leverkusen. They signed 20 new players and they also changed coaches. In the matches we have watched, perhaps there are things we can assess to anticipate how the match will be. It is a team that finds it easy to score goals, they have quality, and they can also defend very deep, press. It's like every away match and also at home, you have to wait for what the opponent will do. They can do everything and you have to know how to manage the match as usual, but we are used to it. We are calm, we are ready, and we have to do the last training today to see the condition of our players and then play the match tomorrow."

How has Nuno Mendes become a formidable weapon for your team this season and what are still his areas for progression?

"Nuno... You all know his qualities, he is a different player. He is a defender but also an attacker, he can play in all positions. It is nice for me to try to manage the playing time of the international players who have many matches to play. Nuno is in that moment, like Hakimi, Vitinha. They are very important players that must be managed so they can arrive at the important moments of the season in the best condition."

The mental aspect is very important at PSG. How does Joaquin Valdes concretely help you daily?

"We have experience. We have worked together for many years, in fact he is the only one who has worked with me throughout my entire coaching career. It is easy for us because we know perfectly well the ups and downs that a team, the players and also the staff can have during a season. We are used to living with that. Experience is important in the world of football, like the ability to analyze many things. That is why we have a psychologist on the staff. It is not usual in football, but I think it has been one of the best things for me as a coach."