Four starters ruled out
Luis Enrique has confirmed what Paris Saint-Germain feared. Four of his regulars will not face Lyon in Ligue 1 on Monday night (8:30 pm in France): Nuno Mendes and Marquinhos in defense, and Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in attack. Dembélé is dealing with a thigh problem, Kvaratskhelia with a knee issue, according to L’Équipe.
It is the first match PSG have to play without all four at once. The coach named a group of 21 players for matchday 8, and L’Équipe reports he does not plan to turn his starting lineup upside down.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
Teenagers fill the gaps
The absences open the door for the academy. David Boly, 17, has been called up for the first time this season. He started for PSG’s youth side against Barcelona in the Youth League last Tuesday. Quentin Ndjantou, 19, is also in the group. In goal, 16-year-old Arthur Bar is listed too, and he was already named five times in league squads last season.
Paris arrive after their 4-2 Champions League win in Barcelona, with about six days of recovery behind them after the schedule shifted a matchday.
Whether Boly or Ndjantou actually gets minutes is another question. Squad lists are about depth as much as intent, and the bench is where the teenagers are most likely to start their evening. The harder question for Luis Enrique is who supplies the creativity and the runs in behind that Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia usually provide.
Discover the rest of our Football news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply