PSG has decided: as in the group stage, it is Juan Bernat, the Spanish left side, who will not participate in the second phase of the Champions League. It is not in the list given at UEFA of the 25 players on whom Mauricio Pochettino can rely for the round of 16 once morest Real Madrid (February 15 – March 9).
The Parisian staff had to establish a mix between 8 elements trained at the club or in France (Mbappé, Kimpembe, Diallo…) and 17 players who had studied abroad. Problem: the vice-champions of France have 18 “foreigners”. During the first list filed in September, Rico, Rafinha and Bernat, then in rehabilitation following his knee operation, had been dismissed. Since then, the first two have gone on loan this winter. Bernat stayed but, sportingly preceded by Nuno Mendes, he was therefore once more dismissed. The leaders believe that they have enough options in this position with Nuno Mendes, Abdou Diallo or even Layvin Kurzawa.
In addition, Bernat has played little this season (8 games since returning to competition on October 15) and has seen his progress hampered by a muscle glitch in mid-December then by the Covid in January. This Monday evening once morest Nice in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, he came on in the 80th minute to replace Nuno Mendes and then shot on goal. But his experience might have been welcome. the 28-year-old Spaniard will therefore have to wait to find the Champions League with Paris where he is under contract until June 2025 following having extended for four years in March 2021.
Among the possible options, PSG might have chosen not to retain Sergio Ramos, around whom doubts are growing with his new calf injury.
For his part, and even if he has only played… nine minutes of play this season, Layvin Kurzawa benefits from his status as a French player, so valuable for composing list A. There remains indeed a list B in which include many under 19s whom Pochettino can also call on when he wishes.
The list of 25 players: Navas (g), Donnarumma (g), Letellier (g), Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Sergio Ramos, Diallo, Hakimi, Kehrer, Dagba, Nuno Mendes, Kurzawa, Verratti, Paredes, Gueye, Herrera, Draxler, Danilo, Wijnaldum, Dina Ebimbe, Mbappé, Messi, Neymar, Di Maria, Icardi.
