Paris Saint-Germain will be able to approach their first Ligue 1 match with an almost full squad. Just hours before the trip to Rennes on Sunday evening at 8:45 p.m., João Neves took part normally in the final training session.
João Neves will be available. He was the only real doubt. The Portuguese midfielder had been rested last weekend for the Trophée des Champions defeat against RC Lens (0-1), with his absence described as a precaution. This time, the 21-year-old is fit to face Rennes. “He is ready. We decided not to take any risks with him last week,” Luis Enrique confirmed at his press conference.
Barcola and Mbaye remain uncertain
The session also allowed new signings Mika Godts and Ferran Torres to continue settling into the squad. Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye, whose futures remain uncertain in the closing stages of the transfer window, also trained normally with the group. But will they be included in the matchday squad? The answer is expected later in the day. According to L’Équipe, PSG currently have no injured players ahead of the opening league game. Luis Enrique will only be without Nuno Mendes, who is suspended following his red card against Lens in the Trophée des Champions.
This Rennes-PSG clash will nevertheless take place in unusual circumstances. The match was initially scheduled to be played at the Parc des Princes but was moved to Roazhon Park because of the poor condition of the Paris pitch. PSG will therefore officially begin their Ligue 1 season away from home, even though the original fixture list had them playing at home.
After the defeat to Lens, Paris will also be looking for an immediate response and a stronger start to their league campaign. With João Neves back and no injuries to deal with, Luis Enrique will have plenty of options when selecting his starting XI, although the situations of Barcola and Mbaye could still influence his choices.
