Key absences loom. Discover who's in and out, and see the predicted starting XIs for this intense PSG versus Marseille showdown.
Two days before the Paris Saint-Germain vs. Olympique de Marseille clash of the 21st Ligue 1 matchday, and with both teams having trained this Friday, the absences for "Le Classique" are becoming much clearer and should be between three and five.
As on Thursday afternoon, PSG trained this Friday morning at the Poissy Campus two days before "Le Classique" against OM at the Parc des Princes, which will close the 21st Ligue 1 matchday on Sunday.
Based on images shared by the club on its social media, we can confirm that 21 players were present on the pitch this Friday morning at the Campus, including Achraf Hakimi, who will be suspended on Sunday.
The real good news concerns Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who recovered from his ankle sprain suffered against Newcastle last Jan. 28. Supposed to be unavailable for eight to 10 days, potentially until this Saturday, the Georgian did participate in today's team session and was even seen sprinting without any apparent problem. A good sign for Sunday.
On the other hand, two players were missing this Friday morning on the pitches of the Poissy Campus: long-term injured Quentin Ndjantou, who seemed close to a return but might still be a bit short, and Fabian Ruiz, who took a knock to the knee last Jan. 20 against Sporting CP and has not played since.
PSG players present at training this Friday morning:
- Goalkeepers (3): Safonov, Chevalier, Marin
- Defenders (7): Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes, Zabarnyi, Beraldo, Hernandez, Hakimi (suspended for PSG vs. OM)
- Midfielders (5): Vitinha, Neves, Zaire-Emery, Lee, Dro
- Forwards (6): Dembele, Doue, Kvaratskhelia, Barcola, Ramos, Mbaye
If PSG could potentially have three absences against OM, Roberto De Zerbi has no suspended players, but no longer counts on Amir Murillo, whom he again criticized for his lack of desire this Friday in a press conference. The Panamanian right-back is set to sign with Besiktas in Turkey by this Friday night, where the market is still open. Regardless, he will not be there on Sunday.
This Friday, OM had several absences during its team session, but all were in the gym after having "pushed hard" on Wednesday and Thursday in training, according to De Zerbi.
These were Geoffrey Kondogbia, CJ Egan-Riley, Arthur Vermeeren, Bilal Nadir, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hamed Junior Traore, and the recent signing Tochukwu Nnadi, but all should be present on Sunday.
The Italian coach of OM, however, stated in a press conference that his Moroccan central defender Nayef Aguerd was "not well." The latter has been suffering from an adductor issue for several weeks and was not included in the group announced by OM for Tuesday's match against Rennes, although he ultimately sat on the bench without entering the game. He is highly uncertain for Sunday but not yet completely ruled out.
PSG vs. Marseille: Absences & Predicted Lineups
- Suspended (1): Hakimi
- Departing (1): Murillo
- Uncertain (3): Ndjantou, Ruiz, Aguerd
PSG's predicted lineup vs. Marseille: Safonov; Zaire-Emery, Marquinhos (c), Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Mayulu (or Lee); Doue, Dembele, Barcola.
Marseille's predicted lineup vs. PSG: Rulli (or De Lange); Weah, Balerdi (c), Medina, Emerson; Hojbjerg, Timber; Greenwood, Nwaneri, Paixao; Gouiri.
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