Paris Saint-Germain have a selection problem on the left of defence before their Champions League meeting with Barcelona: Nuno Mendes is injured, and Lucas Digne is the natural alternative against Lamine Yamal. Mundo Deportivo reported the situation on 19 October, describing Mendes as Luis Enrique’s preferred answer to the Barcelona winger.
The timing matters for the Catalans, with Yamal in excellent form. His impact in Barcelona’s comeback against Galatasaray underlined the threat PSG will need to manage on Tuesday.
Digne faces a difficult selection test
Digne’s recent outing against Strasbourg did little to strengthen his case. Mundo Deportivo assessed the Frenchman’s display in PSG’s 3-1 defeat as laboured and lacking in decisiveness, and reported that Luis Enrique substituted him as he changed course after starting several reserves.
Lucas Digne playing for France. – Photo: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0
That leaves the coach weighing a natural replacement whose latest performance raised questions, rather than simply making a like-for-like switch without concern. Digne is also a former Barcelona player, having spent two seasons at the club from 2016 to 2018.
Mendes, by contrast, had been a regular in PSG’s European starting side. He featured in the 6-1 home win over Slovan Bratislava and the 4-2 victory away to Manchester City, bringing physical strength, defensive force and forward runs from the left.
PSG’s settled European shape faces a change
Luis Enrique has largely relied in Europe on the core of the side that won the Champions League in 2024-25 and 2025-26, making the loss of a regular starter a notable disruption. PSG’s flexible 4-3-3 is built around possession, a high press and quick attacking movement, with the full-backs providing width.
The structure asks for both intensity and technical precision, while Luis Enrique is particularly wary of turnovers that allow opponents to counter. Achraf Hakimi supplies vertical runs on the other flank, Vitinha organises the midfield and Fabián Ruiz offers control; Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué bring individual creativity in attack.
Barcelona’s right-sided threat makes the left-back decision especially prominent. Yamal’s role on the right flank of Barcelona’s attack puts him in the channel PSG must cover, although the matchup will depend on more than the defender selected.
Left-back call comes before Barcelona visit
PSG face Barcelona on Tuesday, 20 October, in the third matchday of the Champions League. Luis Enrique must decide how to cover the left side, with Digne the alternative identified as most natural in the available reporting.
Sport1 also reported on 18 October that Mendes was expected to be unavailable, citing French newspaper Le Parisien’s account of his examination, while noting PSG had confirmed only that he left the Strasbourg match injured. Neither report establishes a recovery timeline, so the immediate question is who starts against Barcelona.