Two key figures are severe doubts for the French champions ahead of their visit to Stamford Bridge, but the coach has ready-made solutions in all eventualities
Laurent Blanc has not hidden how crucial he feels Paris Saint-Germain’s midweek meeting with Chelsea in the Champions League last 16 is.
The Ligue 1 champions go into the second leg at Stamford Bridge holding a 2-1 advantage after Edinson Cavani’s second-half strike secured victory in Paris, but their lead is a fragile one due to John Obi Mikel’s precious away goal.
“It’s the most important match of the season,” Blanc has said.
The coach has insisted since August that his goal was to have his squad in perfect condition for this vital juncture of the season, and by opening up a mammoth 23-point advantage in Le Championnat, PSG are perfectly placed domestically and have been afforded the luxury of squad rotation.
Against Montpellier on Saturday, numerous key figures were rested and there was even a first start for youth academy prospect Christopher Nkunku.
“You have to take into account the matches you’ve played,” Blanc said. “Many things can happen in a game. If things happened as you wanted, then you don’t change you plans. You have to have a main idea without being rigid.
“The most important thing is to get to match X with your team in a state of readiness to play.”
Match X is, of course, Chelsea on Wednesday night.
But Blanc still has several selection headaches, with Blaise Matuidi’s thigh and Marco Verratti’s groin the chief sources of consternation. Both have travelled to London, but neither is certain to play. **Goal
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Naturally, this is Blanc’s preferred solution. With the exception of Serge Aurier, suspended by the club until March 20, it is his strongest side and the one that came out on top against the Blues at the Parc des Princes. The technique of Verratti and battling qualities of Matuidi will be vital in the face of the pressing game the English side will likely employ, but there are options should one or both miss out.
VERRATTI MISSES OUT
At the time of writing, this is PSG's likeliest line-up. The latest indications by Blanc after the Montpellier draw on Saturday suggest that Javier Pastore will begin the game.
“I didn’t start Pastore because I think that he’s played a lot over the last three days and he would have been risking injury if he played tonight,” the coach said. “He’s getting ready. If we have to count on him against Chelsea, he must be given the chance to be at his very best.”
The Argentine, who recently missed 10 days due to adductor injury, will therefore be preferred to Adrien Rabiot if Verratti misses out. It shows that Blanc will not go to Stamford Bridge to defend. The last two matches that PSG have played there prove they will need to score, and Pastore’s technique could be a crucial asset.
NO VERRATTI NOR MATUIDI
Though Pastore would be preferred to Rabiot if either Matuidi or Verratti miss out, the possibility of both players starting should not be discounted. Should Matuidi’s final tests come back negative, Blanc will put his confidence in the academy product, who has proven himself capable of handling a big Champions League match in recent months.
At the Bernabeu against Real Madrid last November, he replaced the injured Verratti early on. Rabiot did not buckle under the expectation and turned in one of his best performances to date in a 1-0 reverse, during which he hit the post in the first half. It was a display that built Blanc’s confidence in the young midfielder; if he is needed on Wednesday, the former defender will not hesistate to start him.
Blanc’s decisions will depend largely on the fitness of Matuidi and Verratti. For the first time this season, he will not look to the long-term but instead channel all of the team’s energy into progressing to the quarter-finals. The coach knows that Wednesday's result will be decisive for the end of PSG's season.**
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