How PSG can navigate injury crisis vs Nantes & Bayern Munich
Paris Saint-Germain have endured a tough couple of weeks as injuries and suspensions begin to pile up for the reigning Ligue 1 champions.
Defender Presnel Kimpembe is out for the season with a hamstring injury sustained on Sunday, while Brazilian superstar Neymar's future with the club is again in doubt. He's sidelined with a sprained ankle and won't face Bayern Munich in the return leg of their last 16 tie in the Champions League.
Before that clash in Europe, however, PSG have a home game with Nantes in France's top flight. Christophe Galtier's side have established an eight-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 thanks to four wins from their last five games.
PSG team news vs Nantes
Paris Saint-Germain's squad is stretched pretty thin at the moment. Kimpembe won't play again this season, leaving Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos as the two leading centre-backs. If injury strikes either against Nantes, Galtier and PSG will be in big trouble.
Neymar is out for at least the next couple of games with a sprained ankle. Renato Sanches is also absent while Marco Verratti is suspended.
PSG predicted lineup (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Mukiele, Marquinhos, Ramos; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Pereira, Ruiz, Mendes; Messi, Mbappe.
There is still certainly work to be done in Ligue 1 for PSG but there is every chance Galtier plugs a number of gaps in his starting XI with youth players. Warren Zaire-Emery is an exciting talent and Nuno Mendes has impressed with his creative output down PSG's left hand side.
Midfield is where the clash with Nantes may be won. Fabian Ruiz has struggled to make his mark on the Paris side since signing from Napoli but he must provide a performance of some authority against the likes of Moussa Sissoko and Pedro Chirivella.
Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi may both start in attack, though young prospect Hugo Ekitike is an option should Galtier not wish to risk both star attackers. Either way, PSG will want a healthy lead against Nantes as soon as possible to preserve their lead in Ligue 1 and withdraw Mbappe, Messi and co before injury strikes.
How PSG can win at Bayern Munich
PSG have won twice at Bayern Munich in the past. The first came in 1994 as George Weah's 80th-minute strike separated the sides. The second occurred in 2021 with no fans in attendance at the Allianz Arena as Kylian Mbappe scored twice in a 3-2 victory.
The two sides were arguably more fearsome a couple of years ago. Bayern Munich looked dominant under Hansi Flick as they won the 2020 Champions League, beating PSG in that season's final.
However, Bayern have been downright sloppy at points under Julian Nagelsmann, while off-field drama and tensions between players continue to dog PSG's hopes in Europe.
That said, they have players with incredible quality who have won at Bayern before. Mbappe himself said he knew his teammates could hurt the German champions after the 1-0 defeat in the first leg.
He said: "We have to look at the end of the game, we were disadvantaged but we managed to cause them issues.
"We’re going over there [to Munich] to qualify. We worked day and night. Our players have to be in good health for the return leg, everyone needs to eat and sleep well. They [Bayern] are not comfortable when we play attacking football."
Getting through the Nantes game will be key, and if Messi and Mbappe are both fine to travel to Bavaria, they could spring an upset on Wednesday night.
