Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Paris Saint-Germain could line up for Tuesday’s Champions League league phase clash with Arsenal.
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique is set to travel to the Emirates with a depleted squad for Tuesday’s Champions League league phase battle with Arsenal.
The French champions were missing eight players for their 3-1 Ligue 1 victory over Rennes on Friday night, and at least five of them should also play no part in the clash with the Gunners.
Marco Asensio – who sustained a muscle injury against Girona on matchday one of the Champions League – is one of them, while Goncalo Ramos (ankle), Lucas Hernandez (knee), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles) and Desire Doue (ankle) are the others.
PSG are also waiting to learn whether Gianluigi Donnarumma (thigh), Nuno Mendes (illness) and Vitinha (ankle) will be fit for the match; if the former is not ready, summer signing Matvey Safonov will continue in goal.
Mendes should have a good chance of recovering from his infection to replace Lucas Beraldo at left-back, though, as the Portuguese joins Willian Pacho, Marquinhos and Achraf Hakimi in defence.
Should Vitinha not make the cut, his countryman Joao Neves should join fellow youngster Warren Zaire-Emery in the engine room, as well as Spanish Euro 2024 champion Fabian Ruiz.
Ousmane Dembele and the in-form Bradley Barcola – who has six goals in six Ligue 1 appearances this season – are shoo-ins out wide, but Enrique is facing a tricky dilemma in the number nine role.
Lee Kang-in started and scored on Friday night after Randal Kolo Muani‘s wasteful substitute performance against Girona, but the latter may get the nod given that he can offer a more physical presence from set-pieces, where Tuesday’s game could very well be won and lost.
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Ruiz, Neves, Zaire-Emery; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Barcola
> Click here to see how Arsenal could line up for this match
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