Skip to main content

UEFA Champions League: PSG v Barcelona

The Sweden international has missed each of PSG's last two matches with a heel injury, and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit to face his former club at the Parc des Princes.

Laurent Blanc's side coped well without their talisman against Caen, sealing a 2-0 win away from home, but a trip to Toulouse on Saturday proved more testing as the reigning French champions were held to a 1-1 draw.

"We have some hope of getting him back for Barcelona," said Blanc.

The prognosis is less positive for Thiago Silva, however, who has not featured for PSG since suffering a hamstring injury in a friendly against Napoli last month, while a similar problem for Ezequiel Lavezzi means the Argentinian is highly unlikely to play.

"We are following the evolution of his [Silva] injury on a daily basis but he is not ready," Blanc said. "His injury is evolving positively but slowly. We have no exact date for his return."

Barcelona defeated APOEL 1-0 at Camp Nou on matchday one, and Luis Enrique's men have made an impressive start to their Liga title challenge.

"If he [Ibrahimovic] is injured he's a very important loss to the team," said Luis Enrique. "I think they are a team that is going to come at us thinking they can get a result.

"I have watched a couple of PSG's matches. I have watched them against Ajax and they are one of the teams who could win the Champions League this season. They have a really good side on attack and are very strong at the back.

"They have many solutions on the pitch. It's obvious they depend on Ibrahimovic but they have also [Edinson] Cavani, even they won't have for that match Lavezzi."

Barca's only forced absentees are Rafinha (muscular injury) and third-choice goalkeeper Jordi Masip (fractured finger), while Thomas Vermaelen and Martin Montoya were both left out of the matchday squad.