Paris Saint Germain manager Thomas Tuchel has intimated that he might not be with the duo of Marco Verratti and Edinson Cavani for his side’s Champions League trip to Manchester United on Tuesday.
Cavani scored the only goal of the game from the spot in PSG’s win over Bordeaux on Saturday, but he was unable to finish the match and limped off soon after finding the net, reportedly with a thigh strain.
The Uruguay international was one of few PSG stars to start the match, as Tuchel kept the likes of Leandro Paredes and Kylian Mbappe in reserve ahead of the last-16 first leg at Old Trafford.
“Normally, my opinion is definitely clear: for a game against Manchester United, for a game against Liverpool or even against Red Star Belgrade, you need your key players with confidence, experience, quality, who are used to playing that kind of game, are used to playing big games full of pressure, who are used to managing the pressure.
“But, if two or three key players are not here, it’s our duty to find solutions. It’s very difficult if we play with our best team, it’s a big challenge. If we are missing lots of key players, it’s an even bigger challenge, but we will be ready on Tuesday, I think.”
PSG are already without Neymar for the match and the absence of Verratti and Cavani will be a major blow ahead of facing a United side who have won 10 out of a possible 11 matches under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
