STRASBOURG - PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN

(kick-off at 15:00 GMT on Saturday)

>> LIVE SCORING, STATS AND COMMENTARY

PSG won the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final 3-2 in a thriller in snowy Munich on Wednesday evening but the victory came at a cost with captain Marquinhos going off with a groin injury straight after scoring on the half-hour, and Abdou Diallo having to be replaced because of illness at half-time. Neither are fit for the trip to Alsace. Layvin Kurzawa and Mauro Icardi are both still absent, while Italian internationals Marco Verratti and Allesandro Florenzi have been recovering from covid.

Second in Ligue 1 Uber Eats heading into Round 32 following the home loss to Lille last weekend, PSG cannot afford another slip in what is an awkwardly positioned match, coming only three days before the second leg of the Bayern tie.

"Strasbourg are a very physical team"

PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino admitted: "Strasbourg are a very physical team. We need to be careful to select the freshest team possible, with the most energy. It's important to that we have quality. The medical and fitness staff are putting in the work so that we have the players in the best possible state. It's important for us to find the players who are the most suited to the match, without taking risks, and to win Saturday's match."

Neymar banned

Neymar, outstanding on Wednesday evening in Bavaria, starts a two-match league ban following his red card against Lille and Pochettino will have to decide how best to manage Kylian Mbappé, the midweek two-goal hero. Pochettino commented: "The win in Munich gave us a lot of confidence. The team is doing well but there is not a lot of time between matches. The spirit within the camp is good. There are several players absent and that makes things more difficult, but we are full of optimism and confidence."

Midfielder Idrissa Gueye had arguably his best match in a PSG shirt in Munich and former Tottenham boss Pochettino said: "He was a player we already knew in England from his time at Everton. We're not surprised by what he offers and his quality. He's a very professional player, who conducts himself very well in training. We're happy with what he brings to the team."

Laurey: "That's the charm of football"

Strasbourg coach Thierry Laureny was an attentive TV viewer of Bayern - PSG, a game in which Bayern had 31 goal attempts compared to the visitors six, and admitted: "I loved watching it. It was a very open game with a lot of chances. That's the charm of football. At that level, even when you totally dominate the match in terms of the statistics, you are not sure of winning. If they play like that on Saturday then we will not be able to live with them."

Probable Teams:

Strasbourg: Kawashima; Koné, Mitrovic, Carole; Guilbert, Bellegarde, Sissoko, Aholou, Caci; Thomasson; Ajorque

PSG: Navas; Kehrer, Danilo, Kimpembe, Bakker; Herrera, Paredes; Sarabia, Rafinha, Draxler; Kean