Paris (AFP)

Hurry up!

Paris SG receives Angers on Friday (9:00 p.m.) in Ligue 1, rid of its disciplinary worries but not of those surrounding the transfer window, which ends Monday evening in a climate of quasi-urgency to recruit.

"If we stay with this group today, honestly, we can not ask the same things" of the Parisian team in terms of performance, warned Thomas Tuchel, the coach of the vice-champions of Europe on Thursday.

The departures of striker Edinson Cavani, captain Thiago Silva, young Tanguy Nianzou Kouassi, and substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting left holes in his workforce, at the dawn of a marathon season.

Between the cases of Covid-19, injuries and suspensions, the return has offered an unpleasant summary of the situation, even if the arrival of the Italian international Alessandro Florenzi - the only one of the summer with that of the third goalkeeper Alexandre Letellier - did good on the right side position.

Friday, the technician will have to do without Angel Di Maria, suspended four days for a spitting during the stormy PSG-OM of September 13, in addition to Layvin Kurzawa (suspended), Juan Bernat and Thilo Kehrer (injured).

However, he can count on Neymar.

The Brazilian, who escaped a new disciplinary sanction following the "Clasico" after accusations of racist insults and homophobes, has returned from a muscle injury suffered last Sunday against Reims (2-0), and he is "ready" to play, just like Idrissa Gueye, Tuchel said.

- Tuchel "worried" -

Despite everything, Paris remains ultra-favored against Angers, a club against which it has not lost since ... 1975.

Stéphane Moulin's men, 8th in Ligue 1, tied on points with PSG, owe their good position to narrow victories against Dijon (1-0), Reims (1-0) or Brest (3-2).

"When we go to Paris, we have a 5% chance of winning," admitted the Angevin coach in an interview with AFP.

Even in an almost empty Parc des Princes, because of the 1,000 spectators tonnage imposed by the health situation.

With Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Mauro Icardi available, the Parisians can garner a fourth victory in a row, which would bring them a little closer to the head of the championship before a two-week break for the international break.

But the workforce remains short for the finalist of the Champions League, who intends to play again on all fronts this season, recalled Tuchel, who wants reinforcement in each line.

Because European competition has strengthened: Liverpool with Thiago Alcantara, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid who recruited Luis Suarez or Inter Milan have hit hard during the transfer window, he stressed.

And with a team full of players solicited by their national team, he does not currently have the means to make rotations.

"With players who play a lot for their national team during the break, with the coronavirus, without preparation, with a program like that, I am worried that we will pay the price in October, November, December and January", a- he lamented.

Before thinking about it, we must first beat Angers.

Otherwise, the need for reinforcements would be even more pressing.

© 2020 AFP