PSG have been in exceptional form since last season when they lifted the Champions League and completed the treble under the tutelage of Luis Enrique.
Courtesy of winning the European title they are pitted against Tottenham Hotspur in a UEFA Super Cup on August 13 at the Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy.
While PSG decimated Inter Milan in the final of the Champions League, Tottenham Hotspur edged past Manchester United in the Europa League final to setup an enticing Super Cup clash.
However, in the buildup to the match, PSG have suffered a massive blow as they will be without the services of Joao Neves who is suspended for this fixture.
The Portuguese midfielder has been one of the most consistent players for PSG last season and even in the Club World Cup, he delivered some noteworthy performances.
However, he lost his cool in the final against Chelsea where they lost 3-0 and Neves was sent off after he pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair.
While red cards generally result in suspension in the same competition, Neves’ two-match ban because of violent conduct will see him miss the Super Cup and the first Ligue 1 game of the new season.
How will PSG line up without Neves in the Super Cup?
PSG are a well-oiled unit mainly due to their midfield troika of Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha and Neves as all of them bring different qualities and complement each other brilliantly in the middle.
So, with Neves missing the game, Enrique will have look at alternative options like Warren Zaire-Emery or Senny Mayulu.
However, PSG will also welcome their two new signing Lucas Chevalier, who has moved from Lille and is expected to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma between the sticks whereas Illya Zabarnyi also joins the Parisians from Bournemouth, providing stability in defense.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank will also be without the services of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison. The latter suffered an ACL injury in one of the preseason friendlies.
All eyes will be on their new signing Mohammed Kudus, who is expected to start for Spurs on the left flank whereas loanee Joao Palhinha could also be a key player in midfield in Frank’s system.
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