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Left winger - Kylian Mbappe
PSG were hoping to have Neymar Jr. back for the first leg against Real Madrid. The Brazilian international has been sidelined since late November with an ankle injury. But even though he is back in training, Pochettino will not want to make the mistake of rushing him and is likely to use him as an impact sub.
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As a result, PSG's hero this season and also last week, Kylian Mbappe, will start down the left wing. The 23-year-old has been in irrepressible form of late. He has scored 21 goals and provided 16 assists in 31 appearances across all competitions so far this season.
Mbappe's blistering pace and trickery will force Dani Carvajal to be cautious. The Frenchman relishes big games as evidenced by his wonderful performances against Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the Champions League last season.
Centre-forward - Lionel Messi
Although Mauro Icardi will push for a start against Real Madrid, Pochettino is likely to deploy Lionel Messi down the middle. Messi seems to be finally finding his groove at PSG.
His ability to flit past defenders and make incisive passes in the final third helped carve out openings for PSG in their recent games against Lille and Rennes. The 34-year-old provided the assist for Mbappe's stoppage time winner against Rennes.
He has seven assists and three goals to his name in his last 10 games for Paris Saint-Germain. Messi will also want to prove himself once again against old enemies Real Madrid.
Right winger - Angel Di Maria
With Lionel Messi moved to the center, Angel Di Maria is the automatic pick for the role of right winger. The Argentinian international has a penchant for showing up for the big games. Even though he has not been at his best in recent weeks, Di Maria will want to turn in a solid performance against his former employers.
His performance as a substitute against Rennes is likely to nudge Pochettino to pick him as a starter against Real Madrid.
