On the eve of the AS Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain match, in the Champions League playoff first leg (Tuesday), it is already possible to predict the Luis Enrique and Sebastien Pocognoli's team lineups. The Spanish coach has a few absentees and will have to make a big choice in attack.

Two and a half months after losing 1-0 at Louis II in Ligue 1, PSG returns to Monaco on Tuesday night for the Champions League playoff first leg. Both teams played last Friday in league play and PSG is coming off a 3-1 loss at Rennes while Monaco won by the same score against Nantes.

For this Champions League Monaco vs. PSG match, no player is suspended, but Luis Enrique will still be without his three midfielders, Quentin Ndjantou, Fabian Ruiz and Senny Mayulu, the latter two still injured according to the latest information from Le Parisien.

In goal, no surprise in sight, Matvey Safonov should make his fifth consecutive start and protect a standard defense composed of Achraf Hakimi on the right, Marquinhos and Willian Pacho in the center and Nuno Mendes on the left. In midfield, no surprise either in sight, with Warren Zaire-Emery and Joao Neves as box-to-box midfielders and Vitinha as a defensive midfielder.

Finally, in attack, Luis Enrique has all his players available, but can only field three at kickoff. Barring poor sensations on Monday (he reportedly felt minor discomfort at Rennes), Ousmane Dembele will start as a false nine against Monaco. We bet on Bradley Barcola on the left and on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the right rather than Desire Doue.

PSG's predicted lineup vs. Monaco: Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos (c), Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Kvaratskhelia, Dembele, Barcola.

On the AS Monaco side, Sebastien Pocognoli has numerous injured players (Mohammed Salisu, Takumi Minamino, Paul Pogba, Lukas Hradecky, Eric Dier, Pape Cabral, Kassoum Ouattara, Christian Mawissa) and may also not be able to count on Maghnes Akliouche, who injured his hip last Friday and is uncertain.

According to L'Equipe, Lamine Camara is feeling better after being hit in the Achilles tendon against Nantes. The Senegalese midfielder, who tore off Lucas Chevalier's ankle last November, should start against PSG on Tuesday.

The big question on the Monaco side concerns the playing system, with Pocognoli alternating between a three and four-man defense in recent weeks. Against Nantes, Monaco played in a 4-2-3-1. Does the Belgian plan to switch back to three at the back against PSG? "Not necessarily, but I really like this flexibility of being able to switch between different schemes," he replied Friday night.

If Akliouche is ruled out, it will also be necessary to see who replaces him on the right wing. Krepin Diatta is an option, Ansu Fati as well, who returned from injury Friday. Against Nantes, it was central midfielder Mamadou Coulibaly who numerically replaced Akliouche in the 41st minute.

Monaco's predicted lineup vs. PSG: Kohn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Faes, Caio Henrique; Camara, Zakaria (c); Diatta, Golovin, Adingra; Balogun.

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