PSG Lacking Midfield Options With Marco Verratti Out Against Montpellier

Paris Saint-Germain travels to the Stade de la Mosson on Saturday to face Montpellier HSC in Ligue 1 competition. Ahead of the match, Thomas Tuchel took to the podium to answer a few questions from the media, including the status of midfielder Marco Verratti.

Tuchel revealed that Verratti and Ander Herrera are both out for the match against Montpellier but the rest of the squad is available for him to choose from. Reporters pressed Tuchel on what the Italy international’s absence means for the team in terms of link-up play on the pitch.

“He has a lot of influence because he is always positive and yes, we are missing him,” Tuchel said. “We have to be patient and cautious with him. He played against Real Madrid and then had a small injury. He played 90 very intense minutes, so this is the reason why he’s still not available. We are expecting him for the game against Galatasaray.”

With Verratti and Herrera out, Tuchel is a bit light in the midfield. Idrissa Gueye and Marquinhos are expected to start but the lack of options could result in a surprise start from Leandro Paredes.

“…for Leandro Paredes, it is always possible for us to put him in the starting 11 because he did well during training,” Tuchel said. “He is very professional. I hope that he will have the possibility to show quality for us.”

Julian Draxler is the more likely option to play in the midfield with Gueye and Marquinhos but Tuchel may want to give one of those regular starters a rest and Paredes would be the next in line.

Or, could Tuchel surprise everyone and go with Adil Aouchiche in the midfield? The German spoke about the youngster’s confidence coming off an incredible FIFA U-17 World Cup and didn’t rule out the possibility of playing time this season.

We’ll have more on this game as we get closer to kickoff so follow along here and on Twitter @PSGTalk.

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Tags Adil Aouchiche Ander Herrera Idrissa Gueye Ligue 1 Marco Verratti Marquinhos Montpellier Thomas Tuchel
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