Neymar still a doubt - How PSG could line up against Monaco

9:50am on Thursday 19th November 2020
By Robin Bairner

Paris Saint-Germain don’t have their problems to seek ahead of their Friday Ligue 1 clash with Monaco.

Thomas Tuchel’s side go into the game off the back of eight successive league wins but under pressure due to their poor European performances.

Indeed, it is the midweek Champions League clash with RB Leipzig that will take precedence in their minds even prior to this game.

Complicating matters, though, are chronic injury issues that threaten to keep a whole raft of stars out.

Neymar was not training with the squad as of Wednesday and is considered doubtful, while the same can be said of centre forwards Mauro Icardi and Moise Kean. Both had hoped to be available for this encounter.

Kylian Mbappe, however, at least looks fit after playing a cameo in France’s Nations League win over Sweden.

There has been some positive news in the midfield, where Marco Verratti has been back training with the first team. Pablo Sarabia is also set to be available. Julian Draxler, however, is looking unlikely to make the cut and Idrissa Gueye has already been ruled out.

The rearguard, meanwhile, will be bereft of Juan Bernat and Thilo Kehrer.

Adding to Tuchel’s headaches is the quick turnaround expected of some of his South American players. Both Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria have flown across the Atlantic for international fixtures this week.

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas was involved in Costa Rica’s match with Qatar, but that was played last Friday, giving him ample time to recover.

Moreover, right-back Alessandro Florenzi started Italy’s clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, so to ask him to start a second game in three days may be considered something of a risk with Leipzig in mind.

It would be little surprise to see some unfamiliar faces in the starting XI for Monaco, while even the star names will be treated gingerly.