FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain will face off this Wednesday, April 10th at 9:00 p.m. in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Both teams are fully focused on the match at the Parc des Princes. The Catalans and the French are coming into the game in good form, but the biggest concern for both Xavi Hernández and Luis Enrique is the uncertainty surrounding the physical condition of some of their players.
Barça currently has five injured players in the squad, but they are hopeful that De Jong, Pedri, and Christensen will be available. On the other hand, PSG has ruled out Kimpembe and has five more players who are doubtful just three days before Barcelona’s visit to Paris.
THE BARÇA INJURY LIST
Frenkie de Jong
Sprained right ankle ligament
The Dutch midfielder is recovering well from the severe sprain to the external ligament in his right ankle that he suffered in a previous match and has a good chance of making the trip to Paris for the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
Pedri González
Right thigh injury
The Canarian midfielder is on track to recover from the injury to his right thigh. He is expected to be fit just in time for the match at the Parc des Princes, but it’s uncertain how much playing time he will get.
Andreas Christensen
Achilles tendon discomfort
The Danish player has missed the last two games due to discomfort in his Achilles tendon that has been bothering him since the start of the season. He is making progress and hopes to be available for the match in Paris.
Pablo Gavi
Knee ligament and meniscus injury
The midfielder is following a specific recovery plan after a serious knee injury. Unfortunately, he will not be able to play for the rest of the season.
Alejandro Balde
Hamstring tendon injury
The left back underwent surgery in February for a significant muscle injury in his hamstring and will also miss the match against PSG.
THE PSG INJURY LIST
Nordi Mukiele
Head injury
The defender had a strong collision with goalkeeper N’Diaye during the PSG-Clermont match and had to be substituted. PSG’s medical team followed the concussion protocol and confirmed that on Monday, the player will undergo “additional tests with a specialist neurologist” to rule out any major issues. Initially, he should be ready to play against Barça.
Warren Zaire-Emery
Thigh Injury
The young midfielder suffered a knock on his thigh during the cup game against Stade Rennais and was left out of the squad for the Clermont Foot match as a precaution. He is expected to be available for Wednesday’s game without any issues.
Nuno Mendes
Muscle Discomfort
The Portuguese full-back had surgery at the start of the season for a rupture of the joint tendon of the right femoral biceps and has only played in seven games this season. He was not included in the squad for the Clermont Foot game due to muscle discomfort as a precautionary measure.
Bradley Barcola
Left Femoral Biceps Injury
The French winger missed the last three games due to an issue with the femoral biceps in his left thigh. However, he returned to training last Friday and is aiming to be included in the squad list for the upcoming matches.
Marquinhos
Achilles Tendon Discomfort
The PSG captain has been experiencing some discomfort in his Achilles tendon in recent games. Barring any setbacks, he should be available for selection by Luis Enrique and is likely to start in the upcoming matches.
Presnel Kimpembe
Achilles Tendon Rupture
The French center back hasn’t played all season since he ruptured his Achilles tendon in February of last year. He had to have surgery again in January, so he won’t be playing against Barça.
This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper
