Paris Saint-Germain announced the absence of Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from the highly anticipated match against Barcelona tomorrow, Wednesday, in the second round of the UEFA Champions League, due to a thigh muscle injury he sustained during the team’s last Ligue 1 match against Auxerre.

The captain Marquinhos remains sidelined as he has not yet recovered from a muscle issue, while both Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué are still out as they recover from injuries sustained during the international break with the French national team.

On the other hand, coach Luis Enrique received a morale boost with the return of the duo Vitinha, who left the Auxerre match in the first half but is now ready, and João Neves, who missed the last two Ligue 1 matches and has overcome his thigh injury.

The return of this duo strengthens the midfield options, which will face a tough tactical battle against Barcelona’s trio.

With the absence of Kvaratskhelia and Dembélé, Paris Saint-Germain loses crucial attacking tools, especially on the flanks. Luis Enrique may have to rely on tactical changes to compensate for the shortage, especially since the match is held at Barcelona’s home ground in front of their fans.

Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier, Matvei Safonov.

Defense: Achraf Hakimi, Lucas Beraldo, Ilia Zabarnyi, Lucas Hernandez, Nuno Mendes, Nacho, Quentin Ngakoutou.

Midfield: Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha, Lee Kang-in, Warren Zaïre-Emery, João Neves, Mathias Ganiell, Renato Marín.

Attack: Gonzalo Ramos, Bradley Barcola, Sini Maïlou, Ibrahim Mbaye.