How Paris Saint-Germain could line up against Lens

Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier will have to cope without both Neymar and Lionel Messi for Sunday's Ligue 1 trip to second-placed Lens.

The former received a red card for two bookable offences against Strasbourg on Wednesday night, picking up his second booking for diving and missing this game through suspension as a result.

Meanwhile, Messi is due to return to Paris on New Year's Day and will therefore remain absent too, allowing Kylian Mbappe to steal the spotlight in a heavily-altered attacking trident.

With Hugo Ekitike also missing training on Friday with pain in his knee, Spain duo Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler should be given the nods in the final third alongside Mbappe.

The perennially-injured Renato Sanches could make his comeback from a bruise here, but Vitinha, Marco Verratti and Fabian Ruiz will expect to retain their spots in the midfield, as Danilo Pereira warms the bench.

There was an unexpected start at left-back for 17-year-old El Chadaille Bitshiabu against Strasbourg, and the teenager caught the eye with a composed performance while Juan Bernat and Nuno Mendes sat out with thigh injuries.

Mendes will remain out for another couple of weeks, and Bernat is also a major doubt, but Galtier is expected to start Nordi Mukiele at left-back while Achraf Hakimi returns on the right.

Marquinhos netted the opening goal before turning a cross from Adrien Thomasson into his own net against Strasbourg, and the Brazilian will once again partner Sergio Ramos in front of Gianluigi Donnarumma as Presnel Kimpembe recovers from an Achilles injury.

PSG possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Ramos, Mukiele; Vitinha, Verratti, Ruiz; Soler; Mbappe, Sarabia