Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel has named his 21-man squad and as expected, Neymar Jr. will be available to face Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
The Brazilian is joined by nearly every member of PSG’s first-team with the main exception being Leandro Paredes. According to journalist Jonathan Johnson, Paredes apparently picked up some kind of knock against Amiens SC last Saturday where he was subbed off in the 61st minute in the 4-4 draw.
Thomas Tuchel has opted to leave Paredes out, suggesting he could have played some part for PSG in Dortmund but would not have been fully fit. #UCL #BVB
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) February 17, 2020
Neymar is obviously vital to PSG’s success in the Champions League but the return of several defenders is a massive boost for Tuchel. Marquinhos had been out for several weeks with a muscle injury before returning against Amiens for 45 minutes. He may not be 100 percent in rhythm but I’ll take an 80 percent Marquinhos over most defenders.
The Brazilian will likely start along with Thiago Silva, Thomas Meunier, and Juan Bernat. If he is moved into the defensive midfielder role, that could open up a center-back spot for Presnel Kimpembe.
The Fantastic Four of Kylian Mbappé, Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi, and Neymar are all in the squad but it’s not a forgone conclusion that Tuchel will go so attack-minded against Dortmund. Given Dortmund’s speed and attacking talent, it’s a real risk to only have two midfielders. Tuchel may leave the out-of-form Icardi on the bench and go with a front three of Di Maria and Neymar on the wings with Mbappé upfront.
We’ll have our preview later today but let us know in the comments or on Twitter @PSGTalk who you think Tuchel will start against Dortmund.
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