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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

PSG vs Real Madrid: what is PSG's likely starting XI?

Sergio Ramos misses the Champions League first leg against his former club. Lionel Messi will start in attack for Mauricio Pochettino's side.

PSG vs Real Madrid: what is PSG's likely starting XI?

PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino has opted to rotate his two goalkeepers in the Champions League. Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma have both played three times in the competition this season and Poch will have to decide who to hand a starting place to for the last 16 tie against Real Madrid.

At the back, the injury to Sergio Ramos means that Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe will play together at the heart of the defence on Tuesday, while Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes will play at right and left-back respectively. In midfield, Pochettino has confirmed that Idrissa Gueye will not start after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, so it's most likely that Leandro Paredes, Marco Verratti and Danilo Pereira will be the three in the engine room.

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Ramos misses out against former club

Ramos made 469 La Liga appearances and 129 Champions League appearances for Real Madrid but misses the game due to a calf injury. The 35-year-old has only made four Ligue 1 appearances for PSG since joining the club last summer.

Questions remain over PSG's attack. Neymar has not featured since 28 November. He picked up an injury against Saint-Etienne that day, but is keen to show that he has plenty of football still left in him. In his pre-match press conference, Pochettino did not give away any clues about the Brazilian. Ángel Di Maria, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi are expected to be three forwards to start in attack against Real Madrid at the Parc des Princes.

Probable PSG XI

Donnarumma/Keylor Navas - Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes - Danilo, Paredes, Verratti - Di María, Messi, Mbappé.