At least eight players are already certain to miss Thursday night’s Trophée des Champions clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille (7:00 PM CET) in Kuwait. Absences are due to the Africa Cup of Nations, suspensions, and injuries, with several additional players still considered doubtful. Here’s the situation at D-3.
Between 5 and 6 Absentees for PSG
Scheduled between two Paris derbies against Paris FC, the Trophée des Champions will take place Thursday evening in Kuwait. Luis Enrique will be without at least five PSG players.
Two are away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations:
- Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
- Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal)
Both players have qualified for the CAN quarter-finals, which will be played on Friday.
They are joined by three injured players:
- Matvey Safonov
- Lee Kang-in
- Quentin Ndjantou
There is also doubt over David Boly, who has been dealing with an ankle issue since before the winter break and was not included in the squad for Sunday’s derby win against Paris FC.
PSG are off on Monday and will return to training Tuesday morning at the Campus de Poissy before flying to Kuwait. More clarity is expected then regarding available players and potential academy call-ups. Barring any late issues, no new injuries were reported after the Paris FC match.
Three Confirmed Absentees for OM, Balerdi Doubtful
On the Marseille side, Roberto De Zerbi will be without:
- Nayef Aguerd, currently at the CAN with Morocco
- Arthur Vermeeren (suspended)
- Bilal Nadir (suspended)
Vermeeren and Nadir were sent off against Nantes and, while they traveled with the squad to Kuwait, will not be eligible to play.
OM named a 28-man squad for the trip, including several players no longer central to the club’s plans—Neal Maupay, Pol Lirola, and Ulisses Garcia—though their involvement on Thursday appears unlikely.
OM captain Leonardo Balerdi, who missed the Nantes match through illness, has been called up but did not appear in the team photo shared by the club before departure. Whether he will join the group later, as Mayulu did before the Intercontinental Cup, remains to be seen.
Confirmed Absentees for PSG vs OM (D-3)
Africa Cup of Nations (3):
Hakimi, Mbaye, Aguerd
Suspensions (2):
Vermeeren, Nadir
Injuries (3):
Safonov, Lee, Ndjantou
Doubtful (5):
Boly, Balerdi, Maupay, Lirola, Garcia