Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has hailed teammate Marquinhos and thinks the young centre-back still has a big part to play at Parc des Princes.
Marquinhos was signed from Roma in the summer of 2013, but has seen his chances limited by the £50m arrival of David Luiz earlier this year.
However, Silva believes that his Brazilian compatriot still has a bright future with the ambitious Ligue 1 champions.
He said: ‘It is true that he did a great job [when I was injured]. I have never disputed that. He has huge potential and can get even better.
‘Nobody has forgotten his decisive rescue to stop Jordi Alba [in the 3-2 win over Barcelona in the Champions League]. He made a real sacrifice, especially as he played the game with a sore thigh.
‘He should not accept [being a back-up] because he is here to compete with us. His goal, like any other player, is to win a place in the team. Top-level football is always like that, everyone is fighting [to play]."