3 Paris Saint-Germain Players Who Must Hit Form After International Break
The Paris Saint-Germain players are back together after the recent international break, and manager Laurent Blanc has the chance to assess the damage done to his stars over the past fortnight.
Of those selected by their national teams, only Angel Di Maria will be of any real concern.
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However, the Argentina international’s tibia problem, picked up in Tuesday's 2-0 home win over Bolivia in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, is not actually thought to be that serious.
PSG are entering into the busiest month of their season, and they will play at least nine times across all competitions—Ligue 1, UEFA Champions League, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue—before the end of April.
Les Parisiens have key fixtures against the likes of Manchester City, FC Lorient and Lille OSC coming up on the European and domestic fronts, as well as five regular fixtures in Le Championnat.
With one match approximately every three days until the start of May, Blanc will need every bit of squad depth he has available to him.
There are a number of players in Le President’s preferred starting XI—and on the fringes—who need to do more over the final two months of the season. Those figures will have to raise their games if PSG are to advance on all fronts.
David Luiz is enduring a poor run of form, and some shaky recent performances for the French champions was followed by a chaotic showing in Brazil’s 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw with Uruguay in Recife on Friday.
The 28-year-old was arguably at fault for the goal scored by PSG team-mate Edinson Cavani to get La Celeste back into it at 2-1 after 31 minutes, and he contributed toward a wobbly defensive display for the full 90 minutes, capping it with an 82nd-minute booking.
Less than one week earlier, the former Chelsea and Benfica man was guilty of conceding an unnecessary penalty in an equally nightmarish outing in the 2-0 home defeat to AS Monaco.
With fellow Brazilian Marquinhos desperate for regular game time in the French capital, Blanc should be seriously considering swapping the two South Americans for at least a few games.
Unless Luiz’s form improves, he will be a significant concern going into the Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City.
Like Luiz, Thiago Motta is also suffering. Lost in the PSG midfield without partner in crime Marco Verratti, the 33-year-old was poor on his recent return for Italy at international level.
Booked in the 1-1 friendly draw against Spain in Udine, the Azzurri man was woeful in the 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany in Munich on Tuesday.
Overall, it was not a particularly impressive international break for Motta, and the pair of disappointing performances added to the growing concern in Paris that the former Inter Milan and Barcelona man is a declining force.
The return of Verratti from his pubalgia troubles would obviously be of great help for the 33-year-old, but he needs to raise his game regardless of whether Gufetto is back in action anytime soon. PSG’s No. 8 must arrest his alarming recent slump in form.
Unlike Luiz and Motta, Cavani enjoyed a productive international break. The Uruguayan scored twice—once in each game—to help Oscar Tabarez’s men to a draw away at Brazil and a home win over Peru in World Cup qualifying.
Taking into account his two goals in the 9-0 title-clinching win away at ESTAC Troyes earlier in March, Cavani has four goals from his last four appearances for club and country.
No doubt buoyed by his latest exploits for Uruguay, El Matador needs to replicate that clinical form back in Paris at a crucial point in the season.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s future still seemingly up in the air, Cavani is essentially auditioning to be the super Swede’s full-time replacement at Parc des Princes.
The 29-year-old has largely failed to do that since pitching up in Paris back in 2013, but he does have a habit of hitting hot streaks of form toward the end of the season.
If he could do similar over the next few months, he could help Blanc’s men realise an immensely successful campaign and secure his PSG future.
Luiz and Motta are two key figures in Le President’s preferred starting XI, while Cavani is on the fringes after being displaced by Lucas Moura.
All three must hit form now the international break is over—otherwise it makes the Ligue 1 giants’ job of achieving their ambitious goals a bit more difficult.
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