Three PSG stars to miss Athletic Bilbao clash through injury… but it’s not all doom and gloom

The latest injury news coming out of PSG is that they will be without several key players for their match at Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League phase on Wednesday. However, it’s not all bad news for the defending champions of Europe.

Luis Enrique will be without a number of players who are mainstays in his starting XI, which will be a major boost for the Spanish side.

PSG Injury News: Three Players to Miss Champions League Clash Vs Athletic Bilbao

Achraf Hakimi

The talismanic Hakimi is definitely out of the game in Spain with an ongoing ankle injury. The attack-minded right-back provided a staggering 21 goal contributions (G8, A13) across Ligue 1 and the Champions League last season.

]Those kinds of attacking returns are staggering for a defender. Warren Zaire-Emery, who will deputise at right-back in the ongoing absence, admittedly does have an attacking flair about him, but it’s absolutely nowhere near Hakimi’s threat going forward.

With the full-back due to represent Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations later this month, which steams until mid-January, it appears that Zaire-Emery will be playing at right-back for a while.

Lucas Chevalier

Like Hakimi, first-choice goalkeeper Chevalier will also be absent for the defending champions in Spain with a problematic ongoing ankle injury.

Gianluigi Donnarumma’s long-term replacement at the Parc des Princes, who was signed from Lille during the summer, was forced to sit out PSG’s five-star performance over Rennes in Ligue 1. Matvey Safonov made his first league appearance of the season on Saturday in that aforementioned thrashing, and he will therefore continue to deputise until Chevalier is fully fit, including on Wednesday.

Ousmane Dembélé

In another injury blow for Enrique, it was announced that 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Dembélé would also have to miss the match through illness. Dembélé came on as a second-half substitute against Rennes, replacing Kang-in Lee. The Frenchman’s injury curse doesn’t seem to want to go away across the current calendar year. No less than five injuries, including two thigh and hamstring injuries, have hit the forward in the final third so far this season.

It’s not all bad news for PSG as Désiré Doué returns

However, there is good news for everyone associated with the club. Désiré Doué, who was voted the 2024/25 Champions League Young Player of the Season, will be part of the travelling squad to the San Mamés Stadium.

The influential winger has missed the last seven matches across all competitions with a hamstring injury.

Doué provided 14 goal contributions (G6, A8) in Ligue 1 last season. In addition to netting five goals and assisting four times in 16 Champions League appearances in 2024/25, leading to his aforementioned accolade.

PSG are currently second in the Champions League phase standings behind leaders Arsenal after winning four of their five matches. The only defeat Les Parisiens have suffered across this season’s competition was a 2-1 home defeat at Bayern Munich in gameweek four.

While Enrique’s side have injuries to deal with, Athletic Bilbao have received a positive injury update, with the headline news out of the San Mares Stadium being Iñaki Williams is poised to return in a feature role.