8 players could miss PSG vs Liverpool
Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool face UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night, with up to eight players set to miss the game.
Alexander Isak is fit enough to be involved after returning to full training and travelling with the 21-man squad, having missed the FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.
The Swedish striker has not played since December 20, when he suffered an ankle injury, including a fibula fracture, against Tottenham Hotspur.
Arne Slot told reporters: “[Isak] finished close to a week of team training sessions now, so he can play a part. Otherwise, I wouldn’t take him.
“I decided not to take him to the Etihad because we felt in talks with the player, medical, performance staff that he wasn’t able to get a performance out of him yet.
“And since he’s with us now, we do think that we can get a performance out of him now. But not to start – that [would] be clear.
With Alisson Becker still sidelined, Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to make his sixth Champions League appearance. Stefan Bajcetic, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni are also unavailable for the Reds.
PSG, meanwhile, are set to be without Bradley Barcola, Fabian Ruiz and Quentin Ndjantou. Ruiz will miss the first leg after opting not to play through a knee issue and is continuing an individual training programme as he works towards full fitness.
It remains unclear if he will recover in time for the return leg at Anfield. PSG boss Luis Enrique dismissed claims the club are unhappy with Fabian Ruiz, saying in Tuesday’s press conference: “We have to wait for the player, there’s no problem.
“Fabian hasn’t trained with the group yet. He’s made a lot of progress, and we’re happy because he seems to be on the right track, but he still needs to do a little more.”
A booking for Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones or Virgil van Dijk would rule them out of next week’s return leg. For PSG, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Nuno Mendes will be suspended for the second leg at Anfield if they receive a yellow card in this match.
Liverpool and PSG have met six times previously – in the 1996-97 Cup Winners’ Cup semi-finals, the 2018-19 Champions League group stage, and last season’s Champions League last 16 – with both sides winning three games each.