PARIS -Luis Enrique has championed the idea of players filling multiple roles since his arrival at Paris St Germain in 2023 but their ever-growing injury list means squad flexibility has become a necessity rather than a tactical preference.
Joao Neves was the latest to fall to the injury curse on Wednesday, limping off with a thigh problem during their 4-0 Champions League win over Atalanta.
He joined Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Lucas Beraldo among the absentees, leaving PSG with just 19 players available.
Luis Enrique started with 19-year-old Senny Mayulu up front against the Italians on Wednesday.
“We don’t know yet, he will have to undergo tests either Thursday or Friday,” Luis Enrique said of midfielder Neves.
He added that they would not take risks with Dembele or Doue for Sunday's clash with rivals Olympique de Marseille.
“We are not worried because it’s manageable, we always manage to have a competitive team,” said goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
Fullback Nuno Mendes admitted the squad was being tested but was confident they had the depth to weather the storm.
“We have a lot of matches, a lot of injuries, it’s complicated to manage,” he said. “But we know how to prepare and we have players who can replace those who are missing. We are a strong, solid team.”
The sheer volume of games PSG has had to play is taking its toll. They played 65 last season, including a gruelling Club World Cup in demanding conditions until mid-July.
The club have had to lean heavily on stalwarts such as Mendes, Vitinha and Bradley Barcola, raising concerns about further knocks.
Behind the scenes, the club have sought to ease workloads by managing training sessions and granting rest days but even that is no guarantee players will stay off the treatment table.
"This is football," said Luis Enrique, "no one is completely safe from injuries."
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
