Champions League: PSG fear impact of injuries as they put title on the line

Paris Saint-Germain begin their Champions League title defence against Atalanta on Wednesday, with concerns mounting over their squad's ability to handle an intense schedule following their historic triumph last season. The French champions, who played 65 games in 2024/25, are already facing injury challenges as they prepare for another demanding campaign that includes domestic competitions, European matches, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.PSG's European campaign includes matches against Bayern, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United in the group stage, along with away fixtures at Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Athletic Bilbao, and Sporting Lisbon.The team's previous Champions League performance showed resilience despite early struggles, losing three of eight group stage matches before securing their first European title with a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in Munich.The demanding schedule from last season has begun taking its toll. Ballon d'Or favorite Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue are sidelined with muscle injuries from international duty, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lee Kang-in, and Lucas Beraldo suffered injuries in Sunday's 2-0 win against Lens."It happens to everyone. It is a bit of a difficult time for us because we have a lot of players injured," said Luis Enrique, who himself is wearing an arm sling due to a cycling accident. "I am calm about it and I hope we will manage to overcome it."The club's squad management last season was effective, with nineteen players logging over 1,000 minutes, matching the rotation patterns of Real Madrid and Barcelona.The Club World Cup's demanding schedule, featuring matches in intense heat and extensive travel across the United States, proved particularly challenging. PSG utilized 19 players compared to Chelsea's 27, ultimately losing 3-0 in the final.This season could see PSG play at least 55 games if they advance in the Champions League, including December's FIFA Intercontinental Cup.Right-back Achraf Hakimi, who recorded the most minutes for PSG last season, faces additional commitments with Morocco's hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations in December and January.The club's transfer activity was minimal, adding only center-back Illia Zabarnyi and goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, who replaced Gianluigi Donnarumma."Injuries to high-profile players are only one visible part of the workload crisis facing professional football and are not surprising," stated FIFPro, the global players' union. "The impact is not felt just by the players but increasingly also by clubs, national teams, fans and national competitions."Despite these challenges, PSG's coach maintains optimism about their European campaign."It is a special moment. We know how difficult this competition is, but we are relaxed about it and we are hoping to put in a good performance in our first game," Luis Enrique said.