While Jean-Louis Gasset will rack his brains to find a starting lineup that holds up, Luis Enrique has the king’s choice. By his own admission, his players are in perfect condition and before three important matches, between the clasico, the semi-final of the Coupe de France against Rennes and the quarter-final of C1 against Barcelona, the coach feels that all Parisians are ready to play.
Sunday against Marseille, the question is therefore whether he will rotate significantly or whether he will line up a starting eleven close to the one who starts on the big occasions.
To try to realize this, it is necessary to look at the playing time of the 18 internationals who joined their selection during the break. In defense, Achraf Hakimi played both of Morocco’s matches in full but did not really force himself during the second against Mauritania (0-0, March 26).
Ugarte, Zaire-Emery and Ramos in the starting lineup?
In the middle, Danilo and Beraldo could start, just like Lucas Hernandez who did not play the Blues’ second match. Nuno Mendes left at half-time of the match against Sweden and did not train before Portugal’s defeat against Slovenia (0-2).
In the middle, Manuel Ugarte, who has the quality of being able to bring the necessary impact to this type of electric match, only played one match without having to make a long journey since Uruguay faced Ivory Coast in the Félix-Bollaert stadium (1-2). Just like Warren Zaire-Emery, on the Blues bench against Chile.
Ahead, the whole issue is of course to know if Kylian Mbappé will start his last clasico or if he will be preserved after having played in full the two matches of the France team against Germany (0-2, the March 23) and Chile (3-2, March 26). Back on his favorite left side, he could be accompanied by Gonçalo Ramos, exempt from the Seleção’s last match.
On the right side, Ousmane Dembélé, who only started three L1 matches out of the nine played in 2024, has a chance of starting (after two physical glitches against Strasbourg and Montpellier). The Kolo Muani option cannot be ruled out either. In a good period, he is coming off a convincing performance with the Blues at the Vélodrome stadium.
The probable composition: Donnarumma (g.) – Hakimi, Danilo, Beraldo, Hernandez – Zaire-Emery, Ugarte, Vitinha – Dembele or Kolo Muani, Ramos, Mbappe.
