Paris Saint-Germain will aim to continue their perfect start to the new Ligue 1 season when they travel to Roazhon Park to face Rennes on Sunday.
The Parisians are in great form at the moment, picking up 24 points from their opening eight league games of the season to sit top of the Ligue 1 standings, nine points clear of second-placed Lens.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side will enter Sunday’s contest at Rennes off the back of a fine 2-0 victory over English champions Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
Team News
Sergio Ramos continues to recover from a calf problem in his left leg and it is unclear when the Spanish centre-back will be available for selection.
Juan Bernat hasn’t played for Paris Saint-Germain since September 2020 due to a serious knee problem, and while he’s closing in on a return, the game at Rennes is too soon for the Spanish left-back.
Other than Ramos and Bernat, Pochettino has a fully fit squad available for the weekend’s game.
Predicted Paris Saint-Germain Lineup vs Rennes (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Donnarumma started the game against Manchester City and kept a clean sheet but Pochettino may go with Keylor Navas in goal for the Rennes game. The experienced Costa Rican will aim to repay the manager’s faith if selected.
Defence
Pochettino could ring a couple of changes in defence after PSG’s exertions in the midweek Champions League game. Thilo Kehrer and Abdou Diallo might get the nod ahead of Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes in both full-back positions.
The centre-back pairing of Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe will not be disturbed and the duo will look to keep a clean sheet over the weekend.
Predicted Paris Saint-Germain Lineup vs Rennes
Midfield
Idrissa Gueye and Ander Herrera have been excellent for PSG so far this term, with the former opening the scoring against Manchester City on Tuesday. Herrera will feature in midfield again but Gueye, after fortunately escaping a serious knee injury from Kevin De Bruyne’s stomp, is likely to be rested. Georginio Wijnaldum will take the Senegalese’s place in the PSG engine room.
Marco Verratti put in a strong performance against Pep Guardiola’s City. However, the Italian international’s recent return from injury means Pochettino must manage him carefully, which could see Danilo Pereira start at the base of PSG’s midfield trio against Rennes.
Attack
Lionel Messi capped his return from injury by scoring his first PSG goal in the 2-0 win over Man City. After a relentless 90 minutes on Wednesday, the Argentinean magician is likely to get a breather with fellow compatriot Angel Di Maria replacing him on the right flank.
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar will retain their places in PSG’s attack, as Pochettino looks to head into the international break with a 100 per cent.
