ZLATAN Ibrahimovic has been ruled out of Paris Saint Germain’s Champions League match against Barcelona today with a left heel injury.
Ibrahimovic missed the last two PSG games because of the injury and coach Laurent Blanc says intensive treatment up until Monday morning failed to resolve the problem.
PSG has made a sluggish start to the season, drawing six of nine games so far, and will be without its top scorer against a Barcelona team that has yet to concede a goal.
Without Ibrahimovic, Blanc says “it won’t be easy and we know it” because “the opponents are much more attentive when he’s around.”
Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani is expected to lead the attack in his favored center forward’s role.
After drawing their first game at Ajax Amsterdam, Laurent Blanc’s side have little room for error against in-form Barcelona, who demolished Granada 6-0 in La Liga at the weekend.
Ibrahimovic’s absence was felt in a lacklustre 1-1 draw at Toulouse on Saturday.
Jean-Christophe Baheback could be a possibility as he scored PSG’s goal against Toulouse on Saturday.
Brazilian Lucas could also start as the forward has been showing glimpses of his best lately.
PSG could also be without Argentine forward Ezequiel Lavezzi who picked up a thigh injury last week in a 2-0 win against Caen.
Barca do not have that kind of problem going into the Parc des Princes clash.
Neymar and Lionel Messi struck five goals between them in the Granada rout and it was a further example of the growing understanding between the pair.
The Brazilian got his second hat-trick as a Barca player while Messi’s double saw him bring up 400 goals for club and country.
“The first year was a case of adaptation but I now feel better and able to perform at a higher level,” Neymar told reporters in Spain.
“We are combining more as a pair and I am very happy with the goals I am getting at the moment which is down to the work of the team.”
Following a season where all the major trophies escaped them, Luis Enrique has come in and restored the emphasis on bringing through youth players and playing the short passing football that became famous under Pep Guardiola.
He has also concentrated on making the defence more solid and they are yet to concede a goal so far.
In La Liga they have only dropped two points in a 0-0 draw away to Malaga last week. Reuters