The long-awaited UEFA Champions League duel between Paris Saint-Germain and Atalanta is now less than a week away. Fans have circled this fixture on their calendar since the draw last month. But unfortunately, much has changed for both teams as of late.
Overall, both PSG and Atalanta have had to deal with a multitude of injuries. No key player has been officially ruled out for the contest, but it is not looking good for some of them. For instance, Atalanta’s Josip Iličić is slated to miss the contest due to fitness issues.
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Olympique Lyonnais manager Rudi Garcia offered his thoughts on the expected loss of Iličić for Atalanta in the match.
“Too bad they lost Iličić, he is a fantastic player,” Garcia said. “They would have been even stronger with him.”
On the other side, PSG will likely be without forward Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman suffered an ankle sprain injury during the Coupe de France final last month. Garcia feels that the likely absence of Mbappe will impact the contest. However, Garcia still plans to back PSG for the Champions League tie, but not for any on-pitch reason.
“With PSG without Mbappe, it will be a more open game than you think,” Garcia said. “Even though I will support PSG, because it is a French team.”
PSG will look to become the first French team to win the prestigious Champions League trophy since Marseille won it back in the early 1990s. PSG is just three wins away from clinching the title.
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