This first international truce of the season will have done a lot of trouble at Paris Saint-Germain. If the injury of Fabian Ruiz, who finally left the Rally of Spain, does not seem too serious, the Parisian club announced that, more surprising, of its coach Luis Enrique. The Iberian coach broke the collarbone this Friday after a bicycle fall. In the same evening, Désiré Doué-hit in the calf-and Ousmane Dembélé-injured in the right ischio-had to give up their place during Ukraine-France (0-2). Two hard strokes for PSG which will have to do without its 20 -year attacking midfielder, for the next three weeks, and without its number 10, for at least six.
What cause a real headache to Luis Enrique, while the return of the Champions League is looming, with the reception of the Atalanta (September 17) and the trip to Barcelona (October 1). The Spanish technician knows how much his team loses in offensive fluidity without Dembélé, whose pressing, discrepancies and impact in the unit-unit-unity are essential. If Gouté was fit, the ex-Coach of Barça would undoubtedly have repositioned him in false number 9. A role he knows very well, since he has already played this position, this summer, against Bayern (0-2), in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup. But its absence still complicates the situation.
Varied alternatives
However, Luis Enrique has several elements in its workforce to compensate for the absence of the two French. The most obvious option would be to leave with KHVICHA KVAratskhelia and Bradley Barcola, both capable of making differences, on the wings. Whenever the Georgian international and the former Lyon were aligned together, they have continued to permute between the left and the right. To accompany them, Gonçalo Ramos seems to be the natural replacement of Ousmane Dembélé in the axis. Unlike the latter, Portuguese is a pure 9. It would then give PSG a more traditional solution, capable of weighing in front of the opposing defenses in the surface.
However, to accompany them, Luis Enrique could make his imagination play. In the past, the Parisian coach has already favored other false 9 profiles to compensate for the absence of the native of Évreux and keep a certain binder between the midfielder and the attack. Against Manchester City (4-2) last January, Kang-in Lee took the place of Dembélé, too fair physically to start. In the semifinals return of C1 last season, Luis Enrique had aligned from the start against Arsenal (2-1), a gifted-barcola-kvaratskhelia attack, with the former Lyonnais in this role.
The next championship games, against Lens (September 14), OM (September 21) and Auxerre (September 27) should allow an overview of the offensive animation that PSG will use. Even if facing the Lensois and Auxerrois, a rotation is not to be excluded, with Ibrahim Mbaye and Senny Mayulu, who will return to the group after the break. One thing is certain: no risk will be taken with Goué and Dembélé and they will not return to the group, only once given 100%. This period without the two former Rennes will also be the opportunity to test the depth of the Parisian bench, after a summer without recruit on the front of the attack.
