It’s been an underwhelming start to Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain tenure, with the Ligue 1 champions finding themselves in the unusual position of third after eight league matches.
PSG’s slow beginning was exemplified by two draws with Lorient and Toulouse in their first two matches, with a dismal 3-2 defeat to Nice and goalless draw with Clermont Foot having come since.
15 points so far is not the kind of return Enrique would have dreamed of at the beginning of the campaign, with a disastrous 4-1 Champions League defeat to Newcastle United thrown in for good measure. But there are shoots of positivity at the Parc des Princes in what will undoubtedly be a transitional season in the French capital.
A victory against Strasbourg at home this Saturday is essential for the French giants to keep pace at the top of the Ligue 1 table, but Enrique has a few selection dilemmas ahead of the weekend’s match.
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma – The obvious number one among PSG’s strangely large cohort of goalkeepers, the Italian has played every game for the club this season.
RB: Nordi Mukiele – Achraf Hakimi was one of four players suspended for offensive chanting against Marseille in Spetember, with Mukiele likely to come in for the Moroccan’s one-game suspension.
CB: Marquinhos – The Brazilian is the leader in a fairly young PSG side, featuring in every PSG match so far this campaign. However, two games for his country over the international break and a long flight home to Paris means he may be a little fatigued for Strasbourg’s visit.
CB: Milan Skriniar – The Slovakian defender has had a shaky start to his PSG career to say the least, but Enrique has shown faith in the former Inter man. His performances need to pick up soon, however, with Presnel Kimpembe nearing a return after a long spell on the sidelines.
LB: Lucas Hernandez – The summer signing has made a slightly better start than Skriniar, but he hasn’t been at his best. Enrique has preferred Hernandez at left-back in the absence of Nuno Mendes.
CM: Warren Zaire-Emery – The 17-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise in Paris, providing three assists and generally impressing in ten appearances this season. The youngster has laid on goals for teammates in his last two matches and continues to be a shining light for PSG.
CM: Manuel Ugarte – The Uruguayan enjoyed victory over his teammate Marquinhos over the international break and has been more or less a constant in Enrique’s side. Offers a fairly lightweight midfield some much-needed bite.
CM: Vitinha – Another superstar in the making, the 23-year-old scored his first of the season against Rennes before the international break. Vitinha was an unused substitute for Portugal during both their games this October.
RW: Bradley Barcola – The youngster’s minutes have been limited this season, but Ousmane Dembele‘s suspension means he could come in on the right-hand side. Barcola will need to take a rare starting opportunity against Strasbourg.
ST: Goncalo Ramos – Randal Kolo Muani is another PSG forward suspended, with Ramos set to step in. It’s five goals for club and country this season, including one against Slovakia during the international break, but the forward will want to add to his tally of two for the Parisians.
LW: Kylian Mbappe – Enduring something of a drought for PSG having not scored in four, but three goals in two games for France should see him find some form against Strasbourg. Mbappe is still the decisive man for the champions.
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