Champions League quarter-finals: injury and suspension update for Barcelona and PSG

The action continues to come thick and fast in the Champions League, with the quarter-final second legs taking place just a week after the first. The results of last week’s games means it’s anyone guess as to which four teams will qualify for the semi-finals, with all four ties evenly poised going into the upcoming second legs. That includes Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain, who will meet at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc on Tuesday.

Christensen and Roberto suspended, Gavi and Balde injured for PSG second leg

Xavi Hernández’s side secured an impressive 3-2 win in the French capital in the first leg, with Raphinha opening the scoring and then levelling after PSG had turned things around. Substitute Andreas Christensen then headed in a winning goal a matter of seconds after coming onto the field.

It was an eventful 15-minute cameo for the Dane, who not only scored the winner but also picked up a yellow card, which means he will miss Tuesday’s second leg due to suspension. Club captain Sergi Roberto also suffered the same fate, his first-half booking ruling him out of the return game.

Long-term injury victim Gavi (crucial ligament tear) isn’t expected to play again until next season, while Alejandro Balde (tendon rupture) could also be absent until 2024/25. Xavi, however, doesn’t have any new injury worries to deal with.

Hakimi and Mukiele return for PSG; no new injury problems

There is also good news for PSG boss Luis Enrique, who is able to welcome Achraf Hakimi back into his squad after he completed a one-game ban in the first leg. The Moroccan will come into the team at right-back, which should see Marquinhos move back into central defence.

Defender Nordi Mukiele is available again after a recent head injury, which means the only absentees are Layin Kurzawa (back) and backup goalkeeper Sergio Rico, who has received medical clearance to play again 11 months after suffering major head and neck injuries when he was struck by a mule cart and a runaway horse.

Five Barça and PSG players one yellow card away from semi-final ban

As was the case in Paris, several more Barça players will have to be on their best behaviour to avoid incurring a one-match suspension, which would now see them miss the first leg of a potential semi-final. Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres, João Félix, Ronald Araújo and Lamine Yamal are the players in question, with all five expected to either start or see significant game time against PSG.

Similarly, on the French side, Ousmane Dembélé, Lucas Hernández, Milan Škriniar, Manuel Ugarte, Vitinho are just one yellow card away from a ban, which they would serve in the first leg of the last four.

When do yellow cards reset in the Champions League?

Every player left in the competition will have their disciplinary record reset after the quarter-finals, although they can still be banned from playing in the first leg of the semi-finals.

Up until the end of the last eight, players who receive three yellow cards must serve a one-match suspension, followed by an additional one-game ban if they then reach an odd number of bookings (five, seven etc).

That runs over into the semi-finals if they were shown their third (or fifth, or seventh) yellow card in the second leg of the quarter-finals. However, with everybody starting from scratch in the last four, it is impossible for players to miss the Champions League final due to an accumulation of bookings.