Champions League

No Maguire - How Man Utd and PSG could line-up in Champions League opener

The French side reached the final of the competition for the first time last season, and will be hoping to start the new campaign on a positive note

 
10:03am on Tuesday 20th October 2020
By
Martin Macdonald

Man Utd fans will need to wait a while longer to see Edinson Cavani in red as the Uruguayan has not travelled to Paris to face PSG in the Champions League.

Cavani left PSG this summer on a free transfer before eventually joining United on deadline day, leaving behind a legacy in Paris which saw him become the club's greatest ever goalscorer.

He hasn't played for the club yet after coronavirus isolation, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirming on Monday that his new player needs more training time with his team-mates before playing.

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PSG: Squad, FC Ratings, Matches, Formations

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Perhaps most crucially for United at this point will be the absence of captain Harry Maguire, who picked up a knock over the weekend and will not be in the squad.

Anthony Martial is available to feature for United as his domestic ban isn't in effect in the Champions League.

Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic were rested at the weekend with Fred and Scott McTominay coming into the midfield. It is likely the senior duo will return for the PSG trip, though McTominay could be asked to play at centre-back in the absence of Maguire and Eric Bailly.

Mason Greenwood missed the Newcastle game with an unspecified fitness issue and has not travelled.

Key for PSG will be the return to the starting XI of Neymar, who was rested for the win against Nimes after travelling home from South America for international duty with Brazil.

Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he is fit to start, which means United will have to contend with the dynamic Neymar-Kylian Mbappe duo.

Elsewhere, PSG have a long list of injury problems.

Mauro Icardi, Juan Bernat and Thilo Kehrer are all definite absentees, while Marquinhos, Marco Verratti, Julian Draxler and Danilo Pereira all sat out the game against Nimes.

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