PSG: Nuno Mendes and Akliouche injury scares in Strasbourg, two doubts before Barcelona

Luis Enrique’s rotation plan came close to perfect. On Friday at the Meinau, Paris came from behind to beat Strasbourg 3-1 with a reshuffled eleven, their substitutes swinging the final quarter of an hour. The night left two fitness scares: Nuno Mendes with a thigh problem, Akliouche with a left ankle injury.

Nuno Mendes went off as a precaution

Introduced in the 53rd minute, the Portuguese left-back felt a problem in his thigh and made way in the 86th. “He felt something small, we decided not to take any risks. I do not know if you can call it an injury, but we decided to play with one man fewer,” Luis Enrique summed up, adding: “I hope it is nothing serious for Nuno. We will assess the situation tomorrow.” The club is “not worried”, and the substitution was only a precaution, according to Le Parisien. No lay-off has been announced.

Akliouche’s ankle and an unpunished tackle

Akliouche’s case is less clear. Starting at the Meinau, he finished the game hampered after Jeyland Mitchell’s tackle on his left ankle, which referee Willy Delajod let go without a card. “Since the final whistle of the match, there has been incomprehension at the Parisian club that Jeyland Mitchell was not shown a red card for his tackle,” Arthur Perrot reports on RMC. Tests are due to establish the extent of the damage.

Two doubts two days before Barcelona

Rotation was the talking point of the week. After Manchester City’s 2-4 defeat against Paris in the Champions League, Maresca pointed to the Parisian advantage, the ability to “rest some of their best players before every Champions League match”. Luis Enrique embraced it: neither Nuno Mendes nor Dembélé started. The first came off with a knock, the second set up Zabarnyi’s goal (77th) and then scored his own (85th). The plan held, the physical gamble did not.

On Tuesday, the Parc des Princes hosts Barcelona for matchday three of the Champions League. Without Nuno Mendes, the “natural” deputy would be Lucas Digne, whom L’Équipe saw looking shaky at times in that game. “If Nuno Mendes comes on in that match, it is because Lucas Digne is not at the level,” Walid Acherchour said on RMC. Without the Portuguese, “it would no longer really be plan A for Paris on Tuesday”, the paper notes.