PSG0 - 0Aston Villa

On his first return to Parc des Princes since leaving in 2018, Unai Emery had a major decision to make over who to start out of Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins.

While the option was to select both of them, the Spaniard has instead gone for Rashford down the middle, leaving Watkins on the substitutes' bench.

Emery has retained just three players from the team that started against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with Emiliano Martinez, Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers keeping their spots.

Having come through 90 minutes against Brighton & Hove Albion last Wednesday, Pau Torres gets the nod over Axel Disasi in the centre of defence.

Despite being eligible to face his parent club, Villa loanee Marco Asensio is only named among the replacements alongside the likes of Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley.

Dembele returns for PSG

Meanwhile, PSG boss Luis Enrique - as expected - has recalled Ousmane Dembele to his attack having handed the forward a rest at the weekend.

Nuno Mendes is restored to left-back in place of Lucas Hernandez, while Joao Neves is back in the centre of midfield.

Warren Zaire-Emery and Goncalo Ramos are the other two players to drop down to the substitutes' bench.

Paris Saint-Germain XI: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Beraldo, Pacho, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz; Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia

Subs: Tenas, Safonov, Barcola, Hernandez, Kimpembe, Lee, Mayulu, Mbaye, Ramos, Zaire-Emery

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Kamara, Tielemans, Ramsey; Rogers; Rashford

Subs: Olsen, Proctor, Mings, Disasi, Maatsen, Bogarde, Onana, Barkley, Asensio, Watkins

Written by

Darren Plant