Paris Saint-Germain will be without multiple players against FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg due to injury. At the least, the French powerhouse will have one key midfielder back for the fixture.
As noted by Le Parisien, midfielder Marco Verratti is not only expected to play against Barca, but he will start in this pivotal fixture.
Verratti had been dealing with a right hip bruise injury over the past week. As a result, the Italian talent missed the team’s fixtures against Caen in the Coupe de France and against OGC Nice in a Ligue 1 fixture.
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino spoke at a pre-match press conference about Verratti’s injury, where he provided an update on his condition but no final decision on his availability.
“We are taking it bit by bit,” Pochettino said. “We need to analyze Marco during the training session today, a session that won’t be too demanding as we are just 24 hours from the match. We have a strategy and a game plan … we will take a decision.”
Verratti went on to join the rest of his PSG teammates for a scheduled collective training session at the Camp Nou. He showed no signs of discomfort with his hip and completed it with no setbacks.
Verratti should be a much-needed boost for the French side in this bout.
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