Paris Saint-Germain have been dealt a blow with Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi struggling with injuries and looking set to miss the trip to Chelsea next week.
The French giants lead 2-1 from the Champions League last 16 first leg a fortnight ago, after goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani.
Since then, the Parisian outfit have struggled with some injuries and Matuidi is the latest one to be struggling with a knock.
Paris Saint-Germain head coach Laurent Blanc confirmed Matuidi and Verratti will miss Saturday’s encounter with Montpellier but hopes to have the duo available against Chelsea.
Matuidi went for tests on a thigh injury sustained in Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Saint-Etienne in the Coupe de France quarter-finals and Blanc is waiting to learn the full extent of the France midfielder’s injury.
He remains hopeful the 28-year-old can travel to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday when PSG defend a 2-1 first-leg lead in the Champions League last 16.
“Blaise has had his examinations,” Blanc told a news conference ahead of the contest with Montpellier at Parc des Princes.
“We will monitor him. It’s never a good sign, I’m not going to lie. We will assess the seriousness and hope to have the possibility to recover him, not for tomorrow, but for Chelsea.”
Verratti missed out against Saint-Etienne and Blanc confirmed that he is still struggling with a groin injury.
“He is not in the squad,” he added. “It’s tricky. We will try to recover him [for Chelsea].”
PSG have adapted to losing Verratti for large parts of this season, but Matuidi is a vital cog in the middle of the park for Blanc’s side and his absence will be key.
PSG visited Stamford Bridge last season and despite having ten men for the majority of the game, managed to go through on away goals after headers from David Luiz and Thiago Silva in the capital.
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