When the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie against Atalanta rolls around next month, Paris Saint-Germain will be without three key players. Edinson Cavani, Thomas Meunier, and Tanguy Kouassi all left the club after their contracts expired at the end of June.
Cavani elected not to take part in contract talks that would have extended his deal up until the remainder of this season’s Champions League. Meanwhile, Meunier (Borussia Dortmund) and Kouassi (FC Bayern Munich) opted to do the same, as they took their talents to the Bundesliga.
Tuchel was not so pleased with the team losing all three players before the resumption of the Champions League knockout stage next month, as he explained via RMC Sport.
“I am sad to have lost three key players for the Champions League with Tanguy [Kouassi], Edi [Cavani], and Thomas Meunier,” Tuchel said. “It makes things more difficult.”
As was showcased in seasons past, depth is a pivotal factor in which teams make a deep Champions League run. And now with teams having the luxury to sub in a max of five players for the rest of this season’s Champions League, the tournament will showcase just which squads are truly stacked with depth across the board.
While the loss of this trio of players will inevitably impact how Tuchel puts together his game plan, the German manager is confident with the current group of players he has at hand, and even more so following PSG’s 9-0 friendly win over Le Havre.
“For PSG, it is absolutely necessary to have quality with a large group,” Tuchel said. “Now all the players have been very good. It is absolutely necessary that everyone stays like that. We found a good atmosphere, a good atmosphere between us.”
The loss of these three key talents will only open the door for some other players on the PSG roster to step up and take hold of earning more playing time. With Les Parisiens set to feature in two cup finals and also a couple of friendlies over the rest of this month, look for some of the bench players — and youth prospects — to answer the call and prove their worth to Tuchel.
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