PSG vs. Le Mans: Confirmed Team News & Starting Lineups

After nearly three weeks of international break, PSG returns to action this Saturday at the Parc des Princes. Sixth in Ligue 1 after five matches, the defending French champion hosts Le Mans, a promoted side currently ninth and just two points behind Luis Enrique's team.

Luis Enrique will be without Senny Mayulu on Saturday for PSG/Le Mans and will also have to manage Warren Zaïre-Emery and Achraf Hakimi, who suffered minor thigh injuries in September against Marseille (Sept. 20) and Brest (Sept. 13), respectively. The Frenchman recovered during the international break, while the Moroccan briefly played against Lesotho (21 minutes) before being rested against Mali.

PSG's top scorer so far this season, Ferran Torres, cut his international break short to treat pain in his left ankle, while Fabian Ruiz became a father last Sunday, missing Spain's last two matches during the break.

During the break, several players rested because their national teams didn't call them up. Think of Lucas Beraldo, Lucas Hernandez, or Lucas Digne; all three could get their chance on Saturday against Le Mans, four days before an even more important Champions League match against Manchester City.

Matvey Safonov played only one of three matches with Russia during the break and will keep his place in goal. Marquinhos has played a lot since the start of the season, totaling 150 minutes for Brazil in Australia and then in India during the break. The Parisian captain was still in Morocco on Wednesday to recharge with his family, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him on the bench, or even left to rest, this weekend.

A boon for Ilya Zabarnyi, who has played only 180 minutes for PSG since the start of the season but added minutes during the break, including three full matches for Ukraine. The right-back position is also a real unknown, and everything will depend on Hakimi's and Zaïre-Emery's health.

Willian Pacho has also played a lot since the start of the season with PSG and took part in all three of Ecuador's matches during the break, even though he played only 26 minutes on Monday against Panama. Will Luis Enrique decide to preserve him Saturday with City in mind? It's possible, especially since Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne could rest during the break; Digne could start at left to give Nuno Mendes a breather, having played 348 minutes with Portugal during the break and been sent to rest by his coach.

In midfield, Vitinha could also rest against Le Mans after playing heavily for club and country since the start of the season, allowing Lucas Beraldo to start at holding midfield. João Neves has played little for Jorge Jesus' Portugal over the past two weeks and can keep his place in midfield, as can Fabian Ruiz, who played only 127 minutes with Spain during the break, even though his last nights must have been short after the birth of his first child. Could that open a chance for Dro Fernandez in midfield?

In attack, there is therefore doubt about Ferran Torres' health after he was hit in the left ankle while playing for Spain, and one can imagine he will not start on Saturday. Ousmane Dembélé is disappointed with Les Bleus and will get rest this weekend, as the club announced. Maghnes Akliouche, Désiré Doué, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Mika Godts are four for three spots.

Given his recent performances in Ligue 1 and his unremarkable international break, Kvara could well start on the bench, which could benefit Doué, excellent on the left against Belgium on Monday after coming on, or Godts, who has still not started a match with PSG but was a starter three times out of four with Belgium during the break. On the right, Akliouche has a good chance of starting, having played only two of four matches with Les Bleus during the break in right-central midfield. But Dembélé's absence could even send him into the central attacking role.

PSG's predicted starting lineup vs. Le Mans: Safonov; Hakimi (c), Zabarnyi, Hernandez, Digne; Neves, Beraldo, Ruiz (or Dro); Doué, Akliouche, Godts.

Back in Ligue 1 after 16 years away, Le Mans is off to a promising start, with one win, three draws, and only one loss after five rounds. For this trip to Paris, Patrick Vieira will miss his world champion Djibril Sidibé, who is suspended, and, more importantly, his Algerian attacking midfielder Adil Bourabaa, who injured his ankle during the break.

A blow for the promoted Le Mans side, since Bourabaa had already scored three goals and delivered two assists in five Ligue 1 rounds. Playing in a 3-5-2, an intense Le Mans side does not plan to abandon its identity at the Parc des Princes on Saturday and should field a team close to the one that beat Lorient before the break. In attack, Habib Diallo could thus be preferred to Dame Gueye, as against the Merlus.

Le Mans' predicted starting lineup vs. PSG: Kocik; Boissé, Yohou, Voyer; Bamba, Vercruysse, Laurey, Bretelle, Calodat; D. Gueye (or H. Diallo), Mafouta.