PARIS (Reuters) -Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique expects captain Marquinhos to make his 500th appearance for the club when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League on Wednesday
Brazilian Marquinhos, who joined PSG in 2013 at the age of 19, has recovered from injury and should reach the milestone at the Parc des Princes.
"If he is in condition, he will play. Five hundred matches is an incredible number," Luis Enrique told a press conference on Tuesday.
"He has been captain for a long time, a different player, a real leader. We are very happy for him."
The Spaniard said PSG were in better shape than at the same stage last year when they struggled in the group section before winning the trophy for the first time.
"We have three points fewer in Ligue 1 but we have scored more goals. In the Champions League we are improved – we know how it went last season. Defensively, my feeling is that we are better," he said.
Enrique warned, however, that managing returns from injury remained difficult, notably in the case of forward Ousmane Dembele.
"Every time a player comes back, it’s difficult to know how to handle it. With Ousmane we are even more attentive than usual. We love to have him back but we have to be careful," he said.
Enrique said PSG were better prepared than when they met Spurs in August’s UEFA Super Cup.
"It’s a good memory because it ended well, but a bad one if I think about the first 60 minutes – we had a lot of difficulties," he said.
"Now we are better prepared to try to dominate the match, but it will be difficult. Individually they have many internationals, they are strong, they started the season well."
Enrique also underlined the contribution of PSG’s academy players.
"It’s important for us and for them to know there are opportunities," he said. "It’s never easy to play for Paris St Germain, but we are not afraid to give chances to young players if they have the quality.
"I’ve seen many players score goals, many give assists, and the number of goals is already better than last year. As a team, it’s important to have different solutions."
PSG are fifth in the Champions league after four games and top the Ligue 1 standings.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Ed Osmond)
