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Ligue 1 leaders PSG will hit the road to take on Olympique Lyon at the Groupama Stadium on Sunday night.
PSG have a 10 point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table. But they have won only two of their last five league games and have failed to make the most of the opportunity to pull away from the chasing pack.
Heading into the second half of the season, Mauricio Pochettino has to work around a host of injury issues. PSG have eight players unavailable due to injury or Covid-19 for the high-profile fixture against Olympique Lyon.
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To make things worse, three more players have left the squad to join their national teams for the African Cup of Nations. Suffice to say, PSG will need to do with a makeshift starting lineup here against their opponents.
Without further ado, let's take a look at how PSG could line up against Olympique Lyon on Sunday night.
PSG Predicted Lineup against Olympique Lyon
PSG Goalkeeper - Keylor Navas
With Gianluigi Donnarumma ruled out due to Covid protocols, Keylor Navas will start in goal for PSG. The Italian goalkeeper has returned a positive Covid-19 test and is in isolation.
Right-back - Colin Dagba
Achraf Hakimi has left the PSG squad to join up with his national team for the African Cup of Nations. As a result, Colin Dagba is likely to start at right-back for Mauricio Pochettino's men. The 23-year-old's only start of the season came back in October.
Centre-back - Marquinhos
Amid all the injury concerns, Pochettino will be glad that he can rely on his captain to hold down the fort. Marquinhos has done a good job in recent times and this will be his sixth consecutive start.
Centre-back - Presnel Kimpembe
Presnel Kimpembe seems to be enjoying the competition for a starting berth. He has been extremely tidy in possession this season and quite solid at the back. Kimpembe should be able to keep his place in the starting lineup despite Sergio Ramos' return from suspension.
Left-back - Juan Bernat
Juan Bernat seems to be the preferred choice at left-back for PSG in the league. He might just be able to fend off competition from the young and energetic Nuno Mendes for a starting place here.
Defensive midfielder - Leandro Paredes
Danilo Pereira has been ruled out of this game after returning a positive Covid-19 test. Idrissa Gueye, who has been an important player for Paris Saint-Germain this season, has left to join the Senegal national side for the African Cup of Nations.
That leaves Pochettino with Leandro Paredes to play as the anchorman. The Argentina international is a belligerent presence at the heart of midfield. Paredes has been nowhere near his best this season but this stretch of games will be a good opportunity for him.
If he can turn in a string of good performances, he can make things difficult for Gueye once he returns from international duty.
Central midfielder - Georginio Wijnaldum
The curious case of Georginio Wijnaldum at PSG remains an open chapter. The Dutchman hasn't been able to conjure up anything noteworthy in recent weeks. His brace against RB Leipzig feels like it came quite a while ago.
Wijnaldum has not exactly been able to provide the kind of thrust from midfield that we saw him do regularly for Liverpool. But due to a lack of options and owing to the fact that Wijnaldum has been a regular starter in recent weeks, he might just keep his place here.
Central midfielder - Marco Verratti
Marco Verratti is one of the best midfielders of his generation. He has struggled with injuries this season, but whenever he is available, he is a sure-shot starter. Verratti will be one of the first names on the teamsheet tonight.
He will need to dictate play tonight for his side. Bruno Guimaraes and Maxence Caqueret won't make life easy for the Italian international in the centre of the park. But he has enough quality to negotiate all that pressure and be the creator-in-chief for Paris Saint-Germain.
Pochettino will be hoping that his best midfielder can get a steady run of games under his belt. Verratti is yet to score a goal or provide an assist in the ongoing season after making 14 appearances across all competitions for PSG.
Right-winger - Xavi Simons
Lionel Messi is continuing his recovery from Covid-19 and miss the trip to Olympique Lyon, PSG have confirmed. Despite all their attacking wealth, PSG are a bit short of options up front heading into this fixture.
Angel Di Maria has been in pretty good form for PSG this season but he is also isolating after returning a positive Covid-19 test.
As a result, young Xavi Simons might get a run out here. The 18-year-old is linked with an exit with his contract set to expire in the summer. However, this injury-Covid-19 situation could prove to be a big blessing for the youngster.
He could finally get a few minutes under his belt here and it's a great chance for him to impress.
Striker - Mauro Icardi
Mauro Icardi is all set to start for PSG as the main striker against Olympique Lyon. With Neymar, Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria all unavailable for this one, Pochettino has no other option than to rely on the Argentinian striker.
Icardi has only started seven Ligue 1 games for Paris Saint-Germain this term. He has come off the bench on eight occasions. The 28-year-old has scored four goals in the league in the ongoing season and he has been heavily linked with an exit as well.
Left-winger - Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has been Paris Saint-Germain's best player by a country mile this season. The PSG faithful will be hoping that there is yet another twist in the tale and that the Frenchman will extend his stay at the club beyond the summer.
But for now, Mbappe is a PSG player and absolutely nobody can fault him for his performances this season. He has scored 18 goals and provided 15 assists in 25 appearances across all competitions for PSG this term.
He has scored four goals and provided two assists in his last three appearances for PSG. Mbappe has looked unstoppable in recent weeks and he will once again be PSG's main man in attack as they take on Lyon.
