With PSG set to face RC Lens for the Trophee des Champions, Ousmane Dembele and Joao Neves happened to be the two biggest absences in the staring lineups.
Paris Saint-Germain are chasing their second trophy of the 2026-27 season as they take on RC Lens on Sunday, August 16, in the Trophee des Champions. However, when the starting XI was announced, eyebrows were raised over the absence of key stars Ousmane Dembele and Joao Neves from the lineup.
Ousmane Dembele will start on the bench against Lens as part of a tactical and fitness decision by manager Luis Enrique. Since the French winger was among the final group of players to report back to pre-season training following the 2026 World Cup, the Spanish manager opted to limit his workload and manage his minutes to avoid unnecessary injury risks early in the campaign.
Instead, Maghnes Akliouche gets the start in Dembele’s place in the attack. The former AS Monaco winger will occupy the right flank, while Kvicha Kvaratskhelia lines up on the left, leaving Desire Doue to operate in a central attacking role much like he did in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup victory.
Meanwhile, Joao Neves was left out of the squad list entirely for the Trophee des Champions clash. In this instance, Luis Enrique chose to give the Portuguese midfielder a complete rest following his 75-minute workload in the UEFA Super Cup, though the player is not dealing with any structural or serious injury.
*Developing story…