PARIS -- Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery is hoping Monaco and Lyon can continue their Champions League and Europa League campaigns as it is positive for Ligue 1's reputation.
Speaking with journalists at Camp des Loges ahead of Friday's trip to face Angers, Emery praised the performance of title rivals Monaco in their 3-2 win away at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday and expressed his support for Lyon too.
"I support the clubs who play in the league that I am working in," he said. "Monaco put in a great performance in Dortmund and that is good for French football.
"The same goes for Lyon. I am behind them too. We need to demonstrate that French football is a force to be reckoned with."
Asked if it is better for PSG that Monaco keep going in the Champions League, he said: "Not just for us but the whole of French football."
Monaco's rearranged clash with Dortmund has had a knock-on effect in Ligue 1, with their game against Dijon on Saturday being pushed back by a few hours.
With PSG playing away at Angers on Friday, the French champions can provisionally draw level on points with Leonardo Jardim's men -- although Monaco's goal difference advantage will likely remain sizeable.
"We need to win, whether we play before or after Monaco," Emery said. "The competition is strong in Ligue 1 right now. This is good for Le Championnat and the spectators.
"Every match is important for Monaco, Nice and ourselves. There are seven games to go, so still quite a way. The players are well prepared and it is there to be played."
In terms of squad news, Emery confirmed captain Thiago Silva, Layvin Kurzawa, Julian Draxler, Hatem Ben Arfa, Grzegorz Krychowiak and Jean-Kevin Augustin will all miss the trip to Stade Raymond Kopa.
"The players who are not ready are Layvin and Julian, who both picked up injuries last Sunday," he said. "Hatem is not ready either because he is sick. Grzegorz too. Thiago is not 100 percent. Jean-Kevin trained ahead of the match but suffered ankle pain towards the end."
However, Emery did add that playmaker Javier Pastore has trained all week and is in the squad. Defensive midfielder Thiago Motta is also back in the group and operational.
"He needs to be ready and able to train every day," he said of Pastore. "This was possible this week.
"When he is fit to play, it is good news for us because he improves the team. When he is not in the squad, we miss his quality. He is ready for this match and that is good news for us."
Regarding Motta's return, Emery said: "Like with Javier, Thiago must find some consistency. He has had calf issues throughout the season.
"He remains an important player for us and he has been included in the squad, so he might play some part."