Psg Vs Metz: Dembélé Ruled Out as Rotation Looms for Parc des Princes Clash
Ousmane Dembélé will not feature in Saturday’s Ligue 1 meeting after exiting Tuesday’s Champions League play-off first leg injured, leaving selection questions for the home side in the psg vs metz fixture. The absence reshuffles Paris Saint-Germain’s attack and increases the likelihood of rotation following midweek European action.
Psg Vs Metz: Development details
The match is scheduled for the 23rd round with kickoff set at 21: 05 at the Parc des Princes. Dembélé was forced off within the first 30 minutes of PSG’s Champions League play-off first-leg against Monaco earlier in the week and is confirmed not to be involved against Metz. That withdrawal has immediate selection consequences: Gonçalo Ramos is expected to start in place of Dembélé and Ibrahim Mbaye is likely to make his first start since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Louis Enrique’s squad will also be without Senny Mayulu, Fabián Ruiz and Quinten Ndjantou for the weekend fixture, narrowing some options in midfield and defence. An expected matchday lineup places Matvey Safonov in goal, a back four featuring Lucas Hernandez, Lucas Beraldo, Illia Zabarnyi and Achraf Hakimi, a midfield trio of Lee Kang-in, Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery, and an attack of Désiré Doué, Ramos and Mbaye.
On the visitors’ side, Metz arrive with personnel changes of their own. Jean-Philippe Gbamin returns from a two-match suspension and Boubacar Traoré is available after recovering from an ankle problem that sidelined him for two games. That contrasts with the prolonged absence of Benjamin Stambouli, who remains out with a fractured rib and faces several more weeks away from action.
Context and escalation
The two clubs enter the weekend with momentum and table positions that raise the stakes. PSG dropped to second place following a 3-1 defeat at Rennes, while Metz sit at the bottom after a 3-1 home loss to Auxerre. PSG beat Metz 3-2 when the sides met on 13 December, a result that underlines recent scoring between the teams but does not erase the current selection pressures on Paris.
Metz’s squad availability is mixed: goalkeeper Pape Sy, midfielder Ismaël Guerti and forward Joseph Mangondo are all in recovery—Guerti has seen very limited action this season and Mangondo has not featured. Midfielders Jessy Deminguet and Gauthier Hein should be available; Deminguet left at half-time in the Auxerre reverse after a calf problem, while Hein missed training earlier in the week with a swollen ankle before returning to sessions on Thursday.
What makes this notable is the timing of injuries and suspensions around a busy period that includes European commitments for Paris; those constraints are forcing clearer and quicker decisions on who starts and who is rotated out.
Immediate impact
Selection decisions driven by the Dembélé injury and recent midweek exertions will shape PSG’s attacking balance and bench depth. With Khvicha Kvaratskhelia likely to drop to the bench, Ramos and Mbaye are set to shoulder greater responsibility in front of goal. The absence of Fabián Ruiz and other midfield absences tightens Enrique’s options in central areas, potentially affecting PSG’s ability to control possession and manage game tempo from the outset.
For Metz, Gbamin’s availability restores a defensive and midfield option after a two-match ban, while Traoré’s return from an ankle problem repairs a gap created by his recent absence. Stambouli’s fractured rib, however, removes an experienced presence for several weeks, increasing reliance on those just returning from knocks and suspensions.
Forward outlook
The immediate milestones are clear: kickoff at 21: 05 on matchday 23 at the Parc des Princes, a likely PSG starting eleven without Dembélé, and Metz travelling with key returns but also notable absences. Previews ahead of the fixture forecast a comfortable evening for Paris given squad depth and recent form swings, while Metz seek temporary relief from the relegation zone with the players now available.
Next scheduled actions are the match itself and subsequent squad assessments that will follow the weekend’s results; injury recoveries and suspensions will dictate selection options in the rounds that follow.
