Luis Enrique ‘delighted’ to face PSG loanee Marco Asensio | OneFootball

It will be a curious night for Marco Asensio (29). He will be in very familiar surroundings on Wendesday night as Paris Saint-Germain face Aston Villa at the Parc des Princes in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. He may be under contract at PSG but he will be wearing the shirt of their opponents on the night.

Asensio, struggling for game time under Luis Enrique this season, joined Aston Villa on loan during the January transfer window. He has hit the ground running, scoring eight goals in his first 11 games for the Premier League side.

And he could not inflict damage on PSG in their quest to win the Champions League. UEFA rules stipulate that Les Parisiens can not prohibit Aston Villa from fielding the Spaniard during the two legs. Speaking ahead of the match, Luis Enrique addressed the situation.

“It doesn’t bother me at all,” began the PSG manager. “I am delighted that he can play. He didn’t get the game time that he wanted here and he had this option to go to Birmingham. It is good that he is playing. I shared lots of things with him with the Spain national team. He is a very important player to me. He is a very high-class player. He was important at the start of the season and I know him perfectly well.”

Asensio’s loan to Villa Park does not include an option to make the deal permanent. Whilst Aston Villa are keen on retaining the free-scoring Spaniard, other clubs are showing interest with PSG looking to garner a substantial fee.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle