Two days before the highly anticipated clash between Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, Roberto De Zerbi held a press conference to provide a full update on his squad. After a hard-fought match against Real Madrid in the Champions League, despite the defeat, OM now has to manage several key absences ahead of facing PSG this Sunday at the Orange Vélodrome. The Italian coach confirmed that several key players are uncertain or ruled out for this crucial encounter.
Nayef Aguerd, the solid Moroccan defender, is doubtful due to a concussion suffered against Lorient. De Zerbi explained that a decisive medical test will be carried out just before the match to confirm his participation or not, emphasizing that « health comes first. » Meanwhile, Hamed Junior Traoré, who missed the Real Madrid game, is out for several weeks due to a thigh injury sustained last Saturday, depriving OM of a promising offensive player newly arrived from Bournemouth.
Despite these setbacks, the Marseille coach remains confident in his team’s collective abilities, highlighting the importance of a solid unit and good organization to unsettle PSG, the current league leaders with a six-point lead. He specifically stressed the need to improve some defensive automatisms while maintaining the offensive determination shown against Real Madrid, in order to ensure a quality spectacle for the Orange Vélodrome supporters.
This classico promises to be intense and full of uncertainties. OM will have to compensate for Traoré’s absence and the possible absence of Aguerd, but De Zerbi relies on collective strength and the performances of other key players like Geronimo Rulli in goal. The stakes are high, with the context already marked by the battle at the top of Ligue 1. All eyes will be on Marseille this Sunday, where the Vélodrome will resonate to the rhythm of a historic duel between two giants of French football.