PSG juggle minutes, Vitinha hope and Plan B before Bayern semi-final | OneFootball

Paris travel to Angers on Saturday, entering the final stretch before Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich after a routine 3-0 win over Nantes. According to L'Équipe, the staff have scheduled sessions every day until Tuesday, sharpening focus on selection and workload.

The priority is the return of Nuno Mendes and Vitinha. Mendes trained on the eve of the Nantes match and, at this stage, his situation was not seen as jeopardising Tuesday. Vitinha’s bruised heel will be assessed again on Friday and no risks will be taken at Angers.

Rotation remains central. After the 1-2 defeat by Lyon on Sunday, Luis Enrique pushed back at scrutiny of his choices. His XI at Angers should protect Achraf Hakimi, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé, and Marquinhos, who made his first Ligue 1 appearance since eight February on Wednesday, is likely to rest.

There is no need to risk Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia, Paris’s form player this spring. Fabian Ruiz, back after three months out with a knee problem, logged 20 and then 30 minutes and impressed. It remains hard to imagine him starting against Bayern given the intensity of the four November group meeting, which ended 1-2, but he could be central in-game if Vitinha is missing.

Enrique has also trialled Lucas Beraldo as a holding midfielder. It answers a short-term need and prepares a contingency if Vitinha cannot feature. Beraldo was solid against Nantes with valuable interceptions, although whether that is a credible alternative for Bayern is unclear.

Set plays are being tweaked. On long, angled free-kicks against Nantes, the centre-backs advanced for rehearsed two or three-man routines or a long delivery. Assistant Rafel Pol had rarely set up such patterns and Angers should serve as another testing ground.

Source: L'Équipe