Nuno Mendes' Muscle Injury Deprives PSG of Its Best Defence Against Yamal

Nuno Mendes has suffered a thigh muscle injury and will be absent for several weeks, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed on Sunday following medical examinations the day after the victory in Strasbourg. The timing is brutal: the Parisian club faces FC Barcelona in the Champions League in the coming days.

Although preserved on his return from the international break ahead of the trip to Manchester City, the Portuguese left-back was brought into the game shortly before the hour mark at the Meinau, when PSG were struggling. He felt pain in his thigh in the closing stages, forcing the Parisians to finish the match with ten men. Luis Enrique had appeared confident in the mixed zone; the following day’s examinations dispelled all optimism.

Beyond the loss of an undisputed starter, Mendes’ absence deprives Paris of its most suitable weapon to contain Lamine Yamal. Last summer, during the American World Cup, the Portuguese player had delivered a display of authority against the Catalan prodigy before being forced off injured, leaving the field open to the Spanish. Since then, Yamal has taken another step forward and terrorises defences across Europe.

In theory, the solution is called Lucas Digne. The former Aston Villa player was recruited this summer precisely to provide experienced cover. But his recent performances inspire more concern than confidence: lack of match fitness, lapses in concentration and hesitation in alignment with the centre-backs. The Frenchman also carries a painful memory of his last face-to-face with Yamal in the World Cup semi-final, where he conceded a penalty before being substituted early.

Faced with this vulnerability, Luis Enrique could turn to makeshift solutions already tested in August when Mendes was suspended: repositioning Lucas Hernandez to close down the left flank, or fielding Warren Zaïre-Emery as an emergency left-back. These experiments had resulted in mixed outcomes and obvious defensive fragility. PSG’s current momentum — six consecutive victories across all competitions — has been built precisely on Mendes’ return to form. Without him, the Asturian coach will have to improvise to prevent the left flank from becoming the weak point through which Barcelona’s armada breaks through.