PSG fear injuries could derail Champions League title defence | OneFootball

There is a sense that the new season truly begins this week for Paris Saint-Germain, as they start their title defense in the Champions League amid doubts about how long the squad can withstand such a congested schedule.

PSG hosts Atalanta this Wednesday, in their first game in Europe, three and a half months after the impressive 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in last season’s final in Munich.

Tough opponents ahead

Luis Enrique’s team will also face Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United in the league phase, as well as trips to face Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Athletic Bilbao, and Sporting in Lisbon.

Despite the difficulty, last season’s poor start showed that PSG doesn’t need to be at their peak right away. In the last Champions League, the French side lost three of their eight league phase games, but still won the tournament for the first time after a spectacular run at the start of 2025.

The weight of the schedule

The concern now is that last season’s efforts could take their toll and jeopardize the title defense.

PSG played 65 games in 2024/25, including 17 in the Champions League and seven in the Club World Cup, which ended with a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in July.

Three weeks later, the players were already back for pre-season, and soon faced Tottenham in the UEFA Super Cup, which they won on penalties.

At the moment, they lead Ligue 1 with four wins, but injuries are starting to pile up.

Injury problems

The favorite for the Ballon d'Or, Ousmane Dembélé, and Désiré Doué are out for several weeks with muscle injuries suffered while with the French national team. In addition, Kvaratskhelia, Lee Kang-in, and Lucas Beraldo were injured in the 2-0 win over Lens.

Hakimi in the danger zone?

Last season, 19 PSG players surpassed 1,000 minutes on the pitch, a number similar to Real Madrid and Barcelona. But the Club World Cup, played in intense heat and with long trips across the US, was exhausting.

While Chelsea used 27 players, PSG played with only 19. In the end, the French team looked worn out.

If they reach the Champions League finals again, they will have at least 55 games ahead, not counting the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December.

Additionally, at the end of the season there will be a World Cup, with much of the squad involved.

The case of Achraf Hakimi

Moroccan Hakimi played more minutes than any other PSG player in 2024/25 and will also be a key figure in the Africa Cup of Nations in December and January.

With no natural substitute at right-back, the club surprised many by not reinforcing the position. The only signings were defender Illia Zabarnyi and goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, replacing Donnarumma.

FIFPro warning

According to FIFPro, the global players’ union,

Champions League expectations

Despite the concerns, the mood at PSG is still one of excitement for the Champions League debut.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.