<
>

Paris Saint-Germain lose four players to injury ahead of Chelsea clash

Paris Saint Germain will be without at least four key players when Chelsea arrive for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday, and could be missing up to seven men after a rash of injuries hit the team on Saturday.

Manager Laurent Blanc confirmed that Yohan Cabaye, Marquinhos, Serge Aurier and Lucas Moura will all miss out against Chelsea after picking up injuries as PSG finished with nine men in a 2-2 draw with Caen.

Cabaye was forced off with a groin injury in the 16th minute, while Marquinhos was replaced at halftime with a hamstring concern.

Blaise Matuidi came off in the second half and is a doubt to face Chelsea, but with the three substitutes already made, PSG had no options when Aurier injured his quad and a groin problem also felled Lucas.

"It's a big blow for us but we have to cope with it. It's the first time I've ever experienced such an extraordinary scenario," Blanc said. "When you make your first two changes in the first 45 minutes, it's hard to judge when to make the third."

In addition, Blanc said midfielder Javier Pastore, who has been out with a thigh injury, might not be able to return to face Chelsea, while left-back Maxwell also picked up a knock on Saturday.

PSG had a 2-goal lead but the injuries allowed Caen to rally for a draw.

"We've lost four players but above all two points," Blanc said. "We have to pull ourselves together and get ready for Tuesday.

To add to the woes, Ibrahimovic will miss the trip to Monaco on March 1 due to suspension after taking his shirt off when celebrating his second-minute goal.

Ibrahimovic said of his teammates injuries: "I've never seen anything like it. We were very unlucky. We'll see what happens on Tuesday."

Information from Jonathan Johnson and The Associated Press was used in this report.