PSG will once again be without star-player Neymar Jr when they take on Nice at the Allianz Riviera on Friday night.
For the umpteenth time after sealing a world record fee move to Paris, Neymar is injured. The Brazilian limped off with a hamstring problem during Seleceo’s 1-1 draw with Nigeria on Tuesday and will be out for at least four weeks.
He is the latest injury problem Tomas Tuchel’s side have suffered this season. Colin Dagba, Julien Draxler, Kylian Mbappe and Thilo Kehrer are all still injured going into the game while left-back Juan Bernat is suspended.
However, with the squad PSG have at their disposal, they have enough firepower to win any Ligue One game.
They enter into the contest top of the pile with 21 points from 9 games after winning 7 and losing twice so far.
The 4-0 victory over Angers on match-day 9 meant they won their second game on the trot and will be hoping to make it three in three on Friday.
Neymar will be a huge blow as he has won them 9 points from four games since he recovered from an injury that forced him out of last summer’s Copa America.
For Nice, they had a promising start to the season as they won four of their first six games.
However, that form has disappeared out of the window and are currently on a three game winless run (D1 L2).
The loss to Nantes last time out was their fourth of the season and Patrick Viera’s side will be desperate for a positive result against the defending champions.
However, they will have to do it without five first-team players. Gautier Lloris, Ibrahim Cisse, Christophe Gerelle and Adam Ounas are all injured while Algerian playmaker Youcef Attal is suspended due to accumulation of bookings.
Last season, PSG defeated Nice 3-0 in the reverse fixture before a 1-1 draw in Paris.
On Saturday afternoon, troubled Lyon host a rejuvenated Dijon side.
Before the international break, Lyon fired Sylvinho and replaced him with former Marseille tactician Rudi Garcia.
At the point of the Brazilian’s departure, Lyon was on a 7 match winless run in the league with his last fixture ending in a 1-0 defeat to Saint Etienne.
Garcia will be tasked with getting the house in order and what better way to start it off with a home game against third from bottom Dijon.
However, Dijon have been steadily picking up form of late as they have won both of their last two games.
A 2-1 win at Reims was followed up with a 1-0 victory at home to Strasbourg ensuring Dijon climb off the foot of the table.
Dijon come into the game with injury issues and the international break has done little to help out.
Four first-team players will be out of the game in Lyon and add the suspended duo of Matheus Pereira and Hamza Mendyl, Dijon have a near to depleted squad.
The other inspiration that Dijon will use going into the game will be the fact that they defeated Lyon 3-1 in the reverse fixture last season. However, that is their only victory away to Garcia’s side having lost two and drawn the other of the previous meetings.
The other interesting fixture in the Ligue One this weekend will be Rennes’ visit to Monaco on Sunday.
Both sides are coming off defeats in their previous outings with Monaco losing 3-1 at Montpellier while Rennes went down 1-0 at home to high-flying Reims.
The loss to Montpellier ended Monaco’s three-match unbeaten run and they will be out to get back on track.
Leandro Jardim’s side look to be on course to redemption after a terrible start to the season that saw them go six games minus a win.
They have been bothered with both injuries and suspensions and that will still be the case on Sunday. Pietro Pellegri, Stephan Jovetic and Henry Onyekuru are all still injured while Fodo Ballo, Gelson Martins and Alexander Golovin are suspended.
For Rennes, after winning their first three games, they have gone six minus victory (D3 L3).
The loss at home to Reims on match-day 9 means that they have collected just three points from their past six games and as a consequence, sit 10th on the log, just three points away from the relegation zone.
All the French Ligue One match-day 10 fixtures
Friday, 18-10-2019
-Nice vs PSG @9:45pm
Saturday, 19-10-2019
-Lyon vs Montpellier @6:30pm
-Reims vs Montpellier @9pm
-Angers vs Brest @9pm
-Metz vs Nantes @9pm
-Toulouse vs Lille @9pm
-Nimes vs Amiens @9pm
Sunday, 20-10-2019
-Bordeaux vs Saint Etienne @4pm
-Monaco vs Rennes @6pm
-Marseille vs Strasbourg
