Laurent Blanc Must Solve PSG's Injury Puzzle in Time for Champions League

Paris Saint-Germain’s current injury problems are causing coach Laurent Blanc all kinds of headaches as the team prepare to resume their UEFA Champions League campaign. The French champions travel to Cyprus to take on APOEL in Group F on Tuesday and will be desperate to pick up where they left off against Barcelona in last month’s 3-2 victory at the Parc des Princes.

PSG have just turned a corner in Ligue 1, beating RC Lens 3-1 “away from home” at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday. It was Les Parisiens’ first domestic success in almost a month and just their second victory on the road this season, but it came at considerable cost.

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Blanc will be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marquinhos and Ezequiel Lavezzi, per the club’s official squad list on PSG.fr (in French). However, the involvement of the likes of David Luiz, Blaise Matuidi, Thiago Motta and Lucas Digne is also questionable.

Considering how disappointing the overall performance was against Lens, Le President has cause for concern ahead of the APOEL clash.

Zlatan is, as always, a big miss for PSG, The Swede would no doubt have made the task of silencing what will surely be a boiling atmosphere at the GSP Stadium in Nicosia somewhat more straightforward. However, if there is a chance that the 33-year-old is fit enough to face Girondins de Bordeaux next weekend, then Blanc will be happy to take the hit.

Assuming Thiago Silva and David Luiz are fit enough to start in Cyprus, the absence of Marquinhos will not be such a problem. Along with Javier Pastore, the young Brazilian has been the team’s best performer so far this season, so his quality is missed. However, Silva and Luiz should be more than solid enough to keep APOEL at bay.

Lavezzi is more of a miss, as he has been since he picked up his hamstring injury in the 2-0 win away at Caen, although more for reasons depth in attack than the fact that he would be a starter. Without him, there is no choice but to play both Lucas Moura and Pastore, hoping that one of them does not pick up an injury.

Blanc will need to be careful against APOEL, because another injury to Yohan Cabaye, Motta or Matuidi would really harm the team's chances in the coming weeks, particularly against Bordeaux.

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Another issue ahead of that clash with Willy Sagnol’s men is whether or not Edinson Cavani will be available. If he is not, which is highly likely, the Frenchman needs to work out an alternative attacking combination and test it in Cyprus. It could be that Blanc has to go without a recognised striker and rely on the pace provided by the likes of Lucas and Jean-Christophe Bahebeck.

Cavani has the perfect chance to make amends for his dismissal in the Lens victory with a dominant performance. The Uruguayan has yet to really step up in Ibrahimovic’s absence, but now the pressure is on. APOEL will give him the chance to build on his goal against Lens and prove that his confidence is once again flowing.

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Defence is another problematic area, though. If Silva and Luiz are both not fit enough to start, Blanc will likely have to play Motta out of position once more, forcing him to utilise one or more players he does not want to put at risk. The Frenchman might consider using the likes of a squad player such as Clement Chantome for the game in order to spare Matuidi, Motta or Cabaye.

Playing Serge Aurier in central defence is also another possibility, though. The Ivorian wasn't fit enough to play a part against former club Lens on Friday because he had only just returned from Africa Cup of Nations qualification duty the day before, but he should be in good enough shape to feature in Nicosia. Lucas Digne’s unavailability dictates that Maxwell will start once again.

It is a difficult situation for Blanc, one that could potentially prove to be costly if PSG fail to win either game next week. However, there is still enough quality in the squad to win both games, and one or two of the absentees may well have returned by the time Bordeaux visit the Parc des Princes.