‘It’s starting to take its toll’ – Are PSG running on empty? | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain succumbed to their second defeat of the season and the first in this season’s UEFA Champions League last night. Not only did PSG lose 2-1 to Bayern Munich, they also lost another two players to injury. 

Achraf Hakimi came off with an ankle injury, for which Luís Diaz was shown a red card. That came after Ousmane Dembélé came off with what is thought is a calf injury, and not related to the hamstring injury that the Ballon d’Or winner suffered back in September, and which continues to hamper him. 

It has been a relentless few months for PSG, who had just one week of pre-season due to their run deep into last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. As Les Parisiens’ players have now revealed, they are starting to feel it. 

‘A lot of PSG players aren’t full fit’ – Marquinhos

“The run of matches is hurting us, and I’m starting to feel it. It’s taking its toll,” said Bradley Barcola post-match.

Club captain Marquinhos then alluded to the extent of the problem. “A lot of the [PSG] players aren’t fully fit, at 100%. I am one of them,” said the Brazilian. Les Parisiens have looked less imperious in Ligue 1, too. Prior to Saturday’s slender 1-0 win over OGC Nice, they had drawn four of their last five games in the league. The physical demands, the truncated pre-season, the injuries, Les Parisiens are running on empty.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle