Injured since the defeat against Olympique de Marseille on September 22nd, Marquinhos, the 31-year-old defender and captain of Paris Saint-Germain, was expected to return from the international break on October 17th against Strasbourg. But L’Equipe reports that the Brazilian’s quadriceps problem will ultimately cause him to miss a few more matches.
“Marquinhos was initially expected to be out between two and three weeks. The Brazilian is expected to remain in treatment a little longer than expected and miss the home game against Strasbourg this Friday, Matchday 8 of Ligue 1 at the Parc des Princes. The captain is even expected to miss the trip to Leverkusen (on October 21st) in the Champions League.”
This is not certain, since this “medical update” comes from a media outlet and is not official. We’ve seen missed opportunities before, both for short-term and ultimately longer injuries. However, it’s safe to assume that this indication isn’t random, and Marquinhos may well need a little more rest.
Normally, PSG has what it takes to pull through. This is still bad news, with a key player still on the injury list. Especially since all the other central defenders are affected by the international break. Good management will be needed when the return leg begins this Friday. At least Ilya Zabarnyi (23) played yesterday with Ukraine and will get some time. Lucas Beraldo (21) and Willian Pacho (23) will get some rest tonight with Brazil and Ecuador.
