How Paris Saint-Germain could line up against Montpellier HSC

Paris Saint-Germain will have to cope without the suspended Marco Verratti for Wednesday's Ligue 1 clash with Marseille at the Stade de la Mosson.

The Italian midfielder received a straight red card for a serious foul on Reims' Junya Ito at the weekend, as PSG dropped more points in a 1-1 draw with Les Rouges et Blancs.

Verratti is joined on the absentee list by the injured Nordi Mukiele (hamstring) and Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), while Neymar is also a late absentee due to muscular fatigue, but Nuno Mendes is back from a similar problem.

Christophe Galtier may be tempted into some changes here, but number one goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will not be one of them, in spite of Keylor Navas's deadline-day move to Nottingham Forest collapsing.

Achraf Hakimi and Juan Bernat's spots out wide should also be safe, although Mendes will return to challenge the latter, and the same can be said for Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos in the heart of the backline.

However, Galtier is blessed with options for change in midfield and will likely be tempted into a reshuffle here, given that all three of his engine room starters were substituted before the 65-minute mark against Reims.

Fabian Ruiz may hold his place in the middle, but Vitinha and Carlos Soler are both at risk of dropping out for Renato Sanches and Danilo Pereira amid the tight turnaround.

The trifecta of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar will be broken up as the latter sits out, and Hugo Ekitike is the most likely candidate to deputise in the final third.

PSG possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Ramos, Bernat; Ruiz, Pereira, Sanches; Messi; Mbappe, Ekitike