Kvaratskhelia out with injury: Nuno Mendes repositioned as winger to fill void at PSG

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will not play again this season. Paris Saint-Germain confirmed Wednesday that the Georgian winger is suffering from an anterior cruciate ligament rupture of the right knee, sustained the day before during the Ligue des Champions victory against FC Barcelona (4-2). The principal architect of the club’s second European title last spring, Kvaratskhelia had nonetheless lacked consistency since the start of the season.

To absorb this blow, Luis Enrique has several options in-house. Young Belgian Mika Godts, a dynamic wide profile, is among the natural candidates to succeed him on the left flank. Maghnes Akliouche, recruited this summer for his technical versatility, can also operate on both wings. Academy prospects Senny Mayulu and Quentin Ndjantou in particular should also benefit from increased playing time in a rotation set to expand.

But the most unexpected avenue comes from defence. According to Le Parisien, Luis Enrique is seriously considering repositioning Nuno Mendes as left winger, an attacking fullback role that the Portuguese international has already briefly taken on late in matches last season.

This hypothesis gained credibility thanks to Lucas Hernandez’s performance against Barcelona. Deployed in the absence of Nuno Mendes — himself unavailable for a few weeks — the French defender held the left flank with authority, proving he could secure that position and thus free his Portuguese teammate for more attacking duties.

This repositioning would only be temporary. The Paris management would keep all options open ahead of the January transfer window and is considering recruiting a targeted reinforcement on the left side to approach the second half of the season with a strengthened squad.