PSG star now suspended vs Newcastle after Champions League incident
PSG may well be without several players when they host Newcastle United in the Champions League in January.
Tottenham lost 5-3 to PSG at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, with the European champions showing what they can do even without several key players.
The likes of Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, and Desire Doue were missing from the starting line-up, but Vitinha was the man to step up for the home side with a stunning hat-trick.
Newcastle lost 2-1 to Marseille on Tuesday, with Eddie Howe‘s team enduring struggles of their own.
Nick Pope may well be dropped for Newcastle, after the goalkeeper made the bizarre decision to attempt to beat the lightning-quick Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the ball before the striker’s equaliser.
Lucas Hernandez among those to be missing vs Newcastle
Hakimi may still be missing when Newcastle travel to take on PSG in January. The defender suffered a severe injury to his ankle against Bayern Munich at the start of the month.
Dembele and Doue, among others, have also suffered several injury problems throughout the season.
One player who will certainly be missing is Lucas Hernandez. In an utterly bizarre moment of madness, the defender threw back his elbow into the face of the oncoming Xavi Simons on Wednesday, with the referee initially missing it.
Felix Zwayer was advised by the video assistant referee to take an on-field review of the incident, and did not take long to produce a red card after seeing it back.
It was a strange decision by the Frenchman, with PSG 5-3 ahead in stoppage time and Simons not even particularly challenging for the ball.
The straight red card will result in a three-game ban in the Champions League for Hernandez, who will be ruled out of the clash against Newcastle in January.
PSG would be unwise to appeal
PSG do have the option to appeal Hernandez’s red card, but their chances of any reduction would be extremely small.
Speaking to Tottenham News on Thursday, former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett said: “The deliberate and illegal use of the arm/elbow is a violent act in the laws of the game. The player should and will be sanctioned with a three-match ban.
“His club might appeal to get the sanction reduced, but on what grounds, frankly, I cannot see one.”
PSG do not exactly struggle for squad depth, and will undoubtedly have a more than capable replacement for Hernandez, but the France international’s absence will be a boost for Newcastle.