PSG Potentially Handed Boost With Barcelona Injuries

This coming midweek, PSG will face La Liga winners FC Barcelona is what is surely the most anticipated game in the league phase section of this season's UEFA Champions League. 

There is hope that this match up will eventually be seen across two legs in the knockout stages of the competition, with there being less jeopardy and stakes in the league phase, but it is still always a spectacle to see perhaps the best two footballing sides in the world go head to head and battle it out, as they did last season at the same stage of the competition. 

Ahead of the game on Tuesday, Luis Enrique's side are seen as the slight favourites with the bookmakers, being priced up at at 27/20, with Barcelona 29/20. The disparity is so small that it suggests should this game be on a neutral venue - such as the Champions League final - the Spanish side would be the favourites for the game. 

But, it's not. The game is not at a neutral venue. It is at the Parc Des Princes, and we know how much of a fortress it has been for PSG in recent seasons, so it feels right that the team are slight favourites for the game. 

Well, by the time the line ups are announced, PSG could go off as more comfortable favourites. Indeed so, as there are injury concerns for the visitors. Striker Gabriel Jesus and defender Eric Garcia hobbled off towards the end of their 5-2 win away to Real Betis on Saturday (the 17th).

After the game, manager Hansi Flick said (via Barca Universal) in his press conference: "We don't know what happened with Eric [Garcia]. Jules [Kounde] has some problems, Gerard [Martin] as well. We have to see if they are injured."

So, whilst the returning Raphinha, who has been in red hot form this season, could come in for Jesus up front, there could well be some defensive issues for Barcelona - with Garcia, Kounde and Martin all part of their backline, and often starters. 

That said, it is not all sunshine and roses for PSG, who saw Nuno Mendes go off injured in the 3-1 comeback victory away to RC Strasbourg in Ligue 1. You'd certainly take the trade off of him being available for the game if it meant the aforementioned Barcelona players were too. Let's wait and see what happens in that regard.