Le Havre-PSG preview: Marquinhos back for Paris?

Le Havre AC – Paris Saint-Germain

– Kick-off: 12:00 GMT

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Marquinhos pulled his hamstring following PSG’s 3-0 win at Stade de Reims three weeks ago, missing the club’s subsequent two games – a 5-2 win over AS Monaco before a 1-1 draw with Newcastle in the UEFA Champions League.

The first of those two results put Paris a point clear of OGC Nice, and six of Monaco, at the top of Ligue 1 Uber Eats, while the latter ensured at least UEFA Europa League football into the new year, with the knock-out rounds at European football’s top table still a possibility.

Marquinhos off the bench?

Marquinhos could get a tune up game on Sunday, although Luis Enrique may wait until the FC Nantes game next week to start him with Milan Skriniar and Lucas Hernandez more than capable of covering at the heart of his defence.

Watch: Highlights of PSG’s 5-2 win over Monaco

Further forward, Ousmane Dembélé opened his PSG account against Monaco, scoring a sublime first goal since his summer transfer from Barcelona, and Enrique has heaped praise on his winger.

“I keep insisting on my point: Ousmane Dembélé is the most influential football player in the world, no doubts,” said the Spaniard. “He doesn’t care about mistakes. He keeps going, he loves to try. He doesn’t listen to criticism. He always generates good things.”

PSG without WZE

Dembélé can expect to be found in the final third on Sunday with Kylian Mbappé for company, but Randal Kolo Muani could make way for Gonçalo Ramos. Warren Zaïre-Emery is ruled out for the rest of the year with an ankle injury, meanwhile.

If Dembélé is providing the inspiration for PSG of late, André Ayew might have been expected to do the same for Le Havre after joining on a free three weeks ago, but his debut against FC Nantes was less than two minutes old when he was sent off.

Watch: Highlights of Le Havre’s goalless draw at Nantes

The veteran Ghanaian replaced Loïc Négo on 65 minutes but was given his marching orders on 67 after studding Eray Cömert shin. The result kept Le Havre eighth, and Enrique’s opposite number Luka Elsner was upbeat.

Elsner: ‘played better with 10!’

“We had better control of the ball when we went down to 10 men, but we’d better not get too used to that! The whole team dug deep to get us a result. Taking a point away from home, against a direct competitor, remains very important. It’s a god point but we were capable of more.”

Ayew is suspended against PSG, joining Oussama Targhalline (ruptured Achilles) and Mathieu Gorgelin (ankle) on the sidelines. Arouna Sangante is one booking away from a suspension of his own, but as the captain is sure to start.

Possible teams

Le Havre: Desmas; Sangante (c), Youte, Lloris; Négo, Kuzyaev, Touré, Casimir; Alioui, Joujou; Bayo

PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Skriniar, Hernandez, Mukiele; Ugarte, Fabian; Dembèlé, Lee; Ramos, Mbappé (c)