Lavezzi and Cavani's PSG Returns Could Give Ibrahimovic a Much-Needed Rest

Paris Saint-Germain welcome struggling Evian Thonon Gaillard to Parc des Princes in Ligue 1 on Sunday needing a win to try to regain a place in the top three.

Following their shock 4-2 thrashing at the hands of SC Bastia, Laurent Blanc’s men dropped down to fourth and need a victory to arrest a run of three league games without a win.

The French champions have struggled in front of goal, scoring just twice in those three games in Le Championnat. Part of that problem is the fact Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been continually played for a full 90 minutes despite his fragile left heel, which has already kept him out for a considerable part of this season.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

With difficult and important matches coming up in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue and UEFA Champions League, PSG need to start allowing their star man to recuperate.

Until now, that had not really been a possibility in 2015. Strike partner and attacking alternative Edinson Cavani was internally suspended for missing the club’s mid-season break in Morocco. The same punishment was doled out to Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Jean-Christophe Bahebeck, one possible option in attack, has been hampered by a recurring adductor problem. That left just Lucas Moura, who best serves PSG on the right side of a three-man attack and has been in sensational form in that wide role so far this campaign.

Christophe Ena/Associated Press

Blanc’s inability to call on a clear alternative to Ibrahimovic will be over on Sunday, though, with Cavani and Lavezzi available to Le President and in the hosts' squad for the visit of Evian according to PSG.fr.

The South American pair have been unavailable for the first three games of 2015 but figure in Les Parisiens’ group for the game after serving an extended exile from the first team.

When Ibrahimovic has been able to manage his heel problem this season, the Swede has been able to keep himself in good shape and remain effective for PSG on the pitch.

However, this was not possible toward the end of 2014 and at the start of this calendar year, and the 33-year-old has struggled to be as important to his team on the pitch.

Ideally, Zlatan needs to be rotated when the French giants have two fixtures in a week. It is unrealistic to expect the PSG No. 10 to be at his best in every game, let alone when he is clearly not at peak physical condition.

Francois Mori/Associated Press

For the good of the player and the club, Blanc should start resting the Scandinavian star more often in a bid to improve his form in time for a crucial run of games next month.

Cavani, with a point to prove after his recent banishment, should be able to lighten the load on Ibrahimovic’s shoulders. Capable of playing in the middle of the PSG front three or wide on the left, the fully fit Uruguayan should offer a more consistent goal threat than a semi-fit Zlatan in either position.

However, it is questionable whether Ibrahimovic will allow himself to be rested and if Blanc will be able to suggest the possibility to his star man.

If PSG want to continue progressing in cup competitions and halt their alarming slump in league form, they must have Ibrahimovic firing on all cylinders as often as possible. The only way that this can happen, it seems, is to rest him more often than they have been at present.

Sunday’s clash with Evian, a game that should be winnable without the Swede, presents the perfect opportunity to put this into practice. The returns of Cavani and Lavezzi will give Blanc far greater options, and both should be able to help PSG overcome the Savoyard side comfortably.