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PSG will be looking to return to winning ways as they travel to take on defending Ligue 1 champions Lille at the Stade-Pierre-Mauroy.
Paris Saint-Germain were knocked out unceremoniously by OGC Nice from the Coupe de France in midweek. Mauricio Pochettino's men will want to swiftly put the loss behind them, move on and build some momentum before the Champions League knockout stage begins.
PSG are currently at the top of the Ligue 1 table and have a 10 point lead on the chasing pack. However, their performances against big sides have been largely unimpressive this season and that is a trend that ought to worry Pochettino.
Meanwhile, their opponents Lille are 11th in the table and are in need of a drastic turnaround if they are to qualify for the Champions League next term.
PSG continue to have a number of issues and are without quite a few key players heading into this high-profile Ligue 1 encounter against the defending champions.
Without further ado, let's take a look at Paris Saint-Germain's possible starting XI for their Ligue 1 encounter against Lille.
PSG Goalkeeper - Gianluigi Donnarumma
Keylor Navas played for Costa Rica on Saturday night and is unlikely to make it back for this one. He has got serious competition going with Gianluigi Donnarumma for a starting berth. This will be another good opportunity for Donnarumma to impress the manager.
Right-back - Achraf Hakimi
Paris Saint-Germain will be absolutely delighted to welcome Achraf Hakimi back into the squad. The Moroccan international has been away on international duty at AFCON 2021 but is now back after his side were knocked out in the quarter-finals.
Centre-back - Marquinhos
The ever-reliable Marquinhos has been a mainstay at the heart of defence this season. His partners have changed multiple times but the Brazilian international is pretty much undroppable.
Centre-back - Presnel Kimpembe
Sergio Ramos has been ruled out with a fresh injury and won't be available to play against Lille. As such, Pochettino will go with his favored centre-back pairing of Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe. The Frenchman has done well alongside Marquinhos this term.
Left-back - Nuno Mendes
Nuno Mendes was a rare bright spot for Paris Saint-Germain in their defeat against OGC Nice. He is likely to keep his place in the starting XI tonight.
PSG Defensive Midfielder - Leandro Paredes
Leandro Paredes is a belligerent customer who is PSG's best bet in defensive midfield when he is on song. The Argentinian international is not only a combative midfielder but is also blessed with the technical proficiency that befits a deep-lying playmaker.
Danilo Pereira has been preferred to Paredes in the league but the Portuguese international only recently recovered from Covid-19. Paredes has only started five Ligue 1 games so far this season. He turned in quite an impressive performance in PSG's last game before the recent international break against Reims.
Paredes will be tasked with dictating the tempo of the game and keeping the game flowing in midfield.
Central midfielder - Ander Herrera
Paris Saint-Germain will be without Georginio Wijnaldum for the game against Lille. The Dutchman has had multiple injury concerns to his knee and ankle and has joined the list of players in the nursing room at PSG.
He is among the players who have been removed from the PSG squad for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Ander Herrera is likely to replace Wijnaldum in the starting XI on Sunday against Lille.
The former Manchester United midfielder has received plenty of flak in recent times for not influencing proceedings as much as he should. This could be a good opportunity for Herrera to show how he can add value to the PSG midfield.
Central midfielder - Marco Verratti
Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping that Marco Verrati's niggling injury issues do not persist for longer. He is fit and available for this game. Verratti is the creative mastermind in PSG's midfield and his vision and defence splitting passing gives them an edge over any opposition.
The diminutive Italian has made 11 appearances in Ligue 1 this term and has scored two goals. He was the man of the match in PSG's latest league outing against Reims, scoring two goals and running the show from midfield.
Left winger - Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has been the main man for PSG in attack this term. With Neymar still on the road to recovery, Pochettino will once again hope that Mbappe will be able to conjure up some moments of magic in the final third.
Pochettino discussed Neymar's progress in the pre-match press conference. He said:
“Neymar has received therapy today, he will work in the gym for the next 48 hours and then resume partial work with his teammates.”
Mbappe is likely to start on the left wing. He has scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 20 Ligue 1 appearances so far this term. The 23 year old has been in sublime form of late. In his last seven appearances for PSG, Mbappe has scored five goals and provided four assists.
Centre-forward - Mauro Icardi
Mauro Icardi is not a great fit for Mauricio Pochettino's system at PSG. He has struggled to score goals at as prolific a rate as he used to during his time at Inter Milan. Icardi has also failed to make the most of the opportunities he has received of late due to PSG's injury concerns.
He has scored just a single goal in his last 16 appearances and is very likely to be offloaded in the summer. The Argentinian striker will need to up his game a lot if he is looking to secure a move to one of Europe's top clubs.
Right-winger - Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi was booed off the pitch after PSG's defeat against OGC Nice in the Coupe de France in midweek. Messi turned in an extremely lackluster performance but in all fairness, it was his first game since contracting the coronavirus.
Messi has not been able to meet the expectations of fans, particularly in Ligue 1. In 12 appearances in the league so far this term, Messi has scored just a single goal but has provided five assists.
Questions are already being asked about Messi's ability to carry on at the level that we're used to seeing him operate.
