The absolutely shambolic pitch at the Stade du Hameau is likely to blame for one Paris Saint-Germain defender’s injury.
On Wednesday, PSG defeated Pau FC in the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France by a score of 2-0 but the more important news coming out of the fixture is the knee injury to Colin Dagba.
In the second half against the Championnat National side, Dagba went to make a tackle and the Frenchman’s boot got stuck in the chewed-up turf and his knee buckled under his weight. He was eventually taken off in the 72nd minute and could barely put any pressure on his knee.
The following day, we learned the extent of Dagba’s injury. On the club’s official website, their medical update revealed that the 21-year-old right-back suffered a strained ligament in his left knee and will be out for four to five weeks.
The time table means Dagba could be back for the return leg against Borussia Dortmund (March 11) in the UEFA Champions League but definitely not the match in Germany on February 18.
Thomas Meunier is the expected starting right-back for those Champions League matches but Dagba provides valuable cover for Meunier and fills in during cup matches and some Ligue 1 matches when the Belgian needs a rest. Dagba’s absence means more game time for Meunier, and thus, more potential for injury.
The medical update also shared information about three other defenders who are currently in the infirmary.
Juan Bernat “continues to work on the training ground and is expected to return to full training with the squad in the coming days.” Very good news as Bernat is the preferred starting left-back.
Thiago Silva continues to make “positive progress, he is working on a rehab program for his groin pain.” It appears as though the PSG captain will be available for selection soon.
Finally, as mentioned before, Marquinhos’ “progress remains on track with a progressive return to the training pitch. He began running against 48 hours ago.” It’s going to be a crunch to get Marquinhos back to full fitness for the match against Dortmund but his inclusion is absolutely vital for PSG to have success against the German side.
If all of these defenders are out for Saturday’s match against Montpellier HSC, manager Thomas Tuchel will only have a handful of defenders to choose from against a tough Montpellier side that gave PSG a tough battle back in early December.
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Thanks for all the great information.