Leaders Paris St Germain will be without Neymar at Montpellier in Ligue 1 on Wednesday with the Brazil forward suffering from “muscle fatigue” as the capital side struggle for form.
PSG have 48 points from 20 games and their lead has narrowed to three points ahead of second-placed RC Lens.
Christoph Galtier’s side have had an average start to 2023, losing their last two games away at Lens and Rennes before being held to a 1-1 draw at Stade de Reims on Sunday.
In the last 16 match of the Champions League on February 14, Bayern Munich host.
“I spoke to the team, we need to get some consistency back in our performances, but there are times in the season when it’s more difficult,” Galtier said at Tuesday’s press conference.
PSG will also be without midfielder Marco Verratti, who was suspended after receiving a straight red card just 14 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute on Sunday.
“We need to rediscover the right formula in midfield. We need more density and more fluidity,” explained Galtier.
“We need more rigor and (need to) make more of a collective effort. We did that in the first months of the season. Everyone has to look at their own performances and what they are doing for the team.”
Against Reims, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi started together for the first time this year, but they hardly defended, leaving the team split in two and vulnerable at the back.
“We have three incredibly talented offensive players and to play without one of them to be more balanced would be a mistake,” Galtier said.
“We have been solid with those three before. However, we cannot be satisfied with the game in Reims.”
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