Luis Enrique's tactical shifts hint at surprises against Lorient. Key players get rest, paving the way for fresh faces to make their mark.
One day before the match, the lineups for Lorient vs. Paris Saint-Germain can already be predicted.
On the Parisian side, all the lines are uncertain as always due to Luis Enrique's rotations, but some starters seem to have their spot secured, like Marquinhos or Desire Doue.
PSG plays this Wednesday, its second consecutive visit to Brittany, after the victory in Brest (3-0) last Saturday.
Now it's time to visit FC Lorient. Far from being the match of the century and sandwiched between several more complicated matches (PSG vs. OGC Nice on Saturday and then PSG vs. Bayern Munich next Tuesday), this Lorient vs. PSG, scheduled for Wednesday, should give a lot of space to the usual Parisian substitutes.
In defense, the absence of Achraf Hakimi will force Warren Zaire-Emery or Senny Mayulu to cover the absence. During the Moroccan's last absence, it was the latter who played there, and Zaire-Emery seems indispensable in the current midfield.
In central defense, Marquinhos should return, and the favorite to partner with the Brazilian is his compatriot Lucas Beraldo, more than Willian Pacho and Ilya Zabarnyi, who have played a lot lately. On the left, Nuno Mendes should make his return.
In midfield, Vitinha may rest, rather than doing so against OGC Nice next Saturday, but on the other hand, Zaire-Emery and Kang-In Lee have a good chance of playing again.
For the third spot to be decided, Fabian Ruiz is ruled out due to his long absence and his very recent return to training, while for Joao Neves, it is a bit more likely, but he hasn't played for a month and a half. The option of Quentin Ndjantou, lined up as a starter in Lille, cannot be ruled out.
In the attack, a major rotation is expected, and Desire Doue will most likely rejoin the starting eleven, Ibrahim Mbaye possibly too.
One spot remains to be assigned between Ousmane Dembele and Goncalo Ramos in the center of the attack. Dembele has just played two games with half-hour appearances; it's possibly time to step up the pace, with Ramos taking his place after an hour of play.
PSG predicted lineup vs Lorient: Chevalier; Mayulu, Marquinhos, Beraldo, Nuno Mendes; Neves (or Ndjantou), Zaire-Emery, Lee; Mbaye, Dembele (or Ramos), Doue.
Lorient predicted lineup vs PSG: Mvogo; I. Silva, Talbi, Yongwa; Le Bris, Cadiou (or Avom), Abergel, Kouassi; Makengo, Bamba, Karim (or Pagis).