Paris Saint-Germain - ESTAC Troyes

- Kick-off: 15:00

>> LIVE SCORING, STATS & COMMENTARY

Neymar and Sergio Ramos were both suspended for last weekend's trip to Corsica, but the other two thirds of 'MNM' shone with Mbappé scoring twice from Messi assists, either side of having returned the favour for the Argentine with an early contender for Goal of the Season.

All three were available in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, when Christophe Galtier's side booked their progress to the last 16 with a 7-2 thrashing of Maccabi Haifa, and each of them found the target, in Mbappé's and Messi's cases, twice each.

Galtier: 'Holy grail'

Domestically, PSG top of the table on 32 points, five clear of next-best RC Lens and with a goal difference of +27 which is more than twice as good as any other side in the division. Galtier is delighted to have his front three purring.

"To have them every day in training, with yesterday's morning session, which was of an exceptional level, and on top of that to see them express themselves like that, for a coach, it's the Holy Grail," he said after the Maccabi rout.

Watch: Highlights of PSG's 3-0 win at Ajaccio

“We played fantastic football, there was a lot of connection between the lines, especially between the midfield and our three strikers who were fabulous. There was a great connection between them. When everyone plays for the team, it gives a very good image."

With PSG already through, they are now unlikely to rotate their team too much against Troyes as they look to stretch their lead at the top of Ligue 1 Uber Eats, which is rotten news for Troyes.

Midfield metronome Marco Verratti was suspended for the Maccabi game but is likely to start at the Parc des Princes on Saturday, although Presnel Kimpembe and Danilo Pereira remain out with thigh strains, so a back four seems likely once again.

Reasons for optimism

Troyes haven't beaten PSG since November 2001 when Patrice Loko got the only goal of the game at the Stade de l'Aube against a Paris side which included Nicolas Anelka, Mikel Arteta and Mauricio Pochettino, but they did hold them to a 2-2 draw the last time they met in May.

One of the betting favourites to get relegated at the start of the season, Bruno Irles' side are a respectable 11th in the table after last Sunday's 2-2 draw with FC Lorient, and twice led in the game, only to be denied all three points by Quentin Boisgard nine minutes from time.

"We faced the team who are second in Ligue 1, who have only lost once this season, who have hurt a lot of teams," said Galtier's opposite number. "They hurt us too, but we were able to give him problems and we led twice; so for me, it's three points that eluded us.

Watch: Highlights of Troyes' 2-2 draw with Lorient

"We can't afford to defend in this way in certain situations, it disgusts me. At the end of the match, we could've been punished."

Defensive tactics?

Troyes' 3-4-3 quickly becomes a 5-4-1 when defending, and some defensive-minded players could get the nod on Saturday, for example Abdu Conté on the left side of defence ahead of Yasser Larouci.

Adil Rami, a 2018 World Cup winner with France, has a knock, but Troyes are surprisingly deep in the position, with Jackson Porozo and Palmer-Brown set to go travel to the 2022 tournament with Ecuador and the USA respectively.

Lucien Agoumé (thigh strain) and Karim Azamoum (ruptured cruciate ligament) join Rami on the sidelines, as the visitors look for damage minimisation at the Parc des Princes.

Possible teams

PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Ramos, Bernat; Ruiz, Verratti, Sanches; Messi; Mbappé, Neymar

Troyes: Lis; T. Baldé, Porozo, Palmer-Brown, Salmier, Conté; Lopes, Kouamé, Tardieu, Ripart; M. Baldé