Paris Saint-Germain will make its long-awaited return to action on Dec. 28, as it will host Strasbourg for a Ligue 1 home fixture.
PSG will at the least be without five players for this Ligue 1 contest. For one, Lionel Messi still has not made his return to PSG, as he was granted a 10-plus day vacation after leading the Argentina national team to triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. PSG manager Christophe Galtier did confirm on Tuesday that the Argentine forward will be back in training next week.
PSG will not be able to count on Nuno Mendes on Ligue 1 matchday 16. Mendes suffered a notable hamstring injury during Portugal’s World Cup group stage matchup against Uruguay, and he was later ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. The Ligue 1 powerhouse did note on Tuesday that the versatile full-back is “expected” to return to collective training in “two weeks’ time.”
Renato Sanches sustained a “bruise” during PSG’s recent friendly encounter against Quevilly-Rouen. The Portuguese talent has been ruled out against Strasbourg, and he is slated to be back in training later this week.
On the other hand, Presnel Kimpembe (tendinitis in his right Achilles tendon) and Timothee Pembele (recovery from his torn ACL injury) will also not feature against Strasbourg.
PSG currently holds the top spot in the Ligue 1 standings with 41 points through 15 matches played.
