Opinion

Mixed Feelings As PSG Players Leave for International Duty

By Ed - 7 October 2019, 19:26

Paris Saint-Germain head into the international break winners of eight of their last nine matches, including that famous 3-0 win over Real Madrid at the Parc des Princes in mid-September. They’re top of Ligue 1 and top of Group A in the UEFA Champions League despite having several key players out due to injury. They’re simultaneously in great form while also dealing with a semi-injury crisis and that’s why the international break is both good and bad for the club.

Let’s start with the good. The international break will allow several players to receive further treatment and recover without missing any games for PSG. Kylian Mbappé is the primary concern here. The Frenchman injured his hamstring against Toulouse FC on August 25 and his return has taken longer than previously expected according to the club’s website. He played 30 minutes against Galatasaray S.K. last week but Thomas Tuchel revealed in a press conference days later that there was a reaction between the scar and the nerve and Mbappé is experiencing some discomfort. Hopefully, Didier Deschamps will leave the 20-year-old on the bench and rely on his other attackers in the upcoming fixtures against Iceland and Turkey.

Coup d'envoi du stage d'octobre cet après-midi avec l'arrivée des Bleus à Clairefontaine ! #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/njtkKFOrci

— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) October 7, 2019

PSG’s other injured injured players, which include Colin Dagba, Edinson Cavani, Thilo Kehrer, and Julian Draxler according to Transfermarkt, will hopefully use this time to get back to 100 percent so that we can finally see what this PSG team is capable of at full strength. We still don’t know how Thomas Tuchel will set up his lineup and who he’ll prefer at certain positions now that he has fantastic squad depth at his disposal.

It’s also going to be good to see Neymar Jr. in action with Brazil. They have two tough friendlies against Idrissa Gueye’s Senegal and Nigeria, both being played in Singapore. Neymar has missed out on Champions League football this season due to his suspension so it will be good for him to see some non-Ligue 1 competition before returning for what many anticipate will be a difficult away match against Club Brugge on October 22.

Finally, Spain announced their squad for the international break and included were two PSG players. Pablo Sarabia, who is coming off a fantastic week where he scored one goal and assisted three others, makes the team along with Juan Bernat. Both are more than deserving of a spot on the team and I’m looking forward to watching them continue in their great run of form.

Finaliza la comparecencia ante los medios de Robert Moreno y Luis de la Fuente.

¡Aquí tienes las listas de convocados!#UnidosPorUnRETO #U21EURO pic.twitter.com/X9asJYV1kY

— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SeFutbol) October 4, 2019

The international break comes at the most inopportune time though. PSG has a lot of momentum at the moment and you hate to just stop everything that’s going on for a couple of weeks. There’s bound to be some rust when they take the pitch again against OGC Nice on October 18. There’s also the possibility that additional players could pick up injuries and the training room is already full as it is. PSG supporters everywhere will no doubt be holding their collective breath during this break.

Here is a full list of all of the players representing their countries:

Argentina

Leandro Paredes

Belgium

Thomas Meunier

Brazil

Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, and Neymar Jr.

Cameroon

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

Costa Rica

Keylor Navas

France