Chelsea vs PSG: Luis Enrique to Miss 2 Key Players for Club World Cup Final
- Paris Saint-Germain will be without two key players when they face Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup
- PSG thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 to set up the date with Chelsea as they seek to follow up on their Champions League success
- The winner of the final in New Jersey will get a USD 40 million (KSh 5.2 billion) payout and a champion's badge for the next four years
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Chelsea will play Paris Saint-Germain in the first final of the new-format FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday, July 13.
Source: Getty Images
The game will be held at the 82,500-seater MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with USA president Donald Trump among the dignitaries expected.
How Chelsea, PSG qualified for the final
Chelsea beat Fluminense 2-0 thanks to a brace from João Pedro to reach their second final under Enzo Maresca.
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The Brazilian side had pulled off impressive results in the previous round, including knocking out Inter Milan and Al Hilal, but were no match for the Blues.
PSG, meanwhile, showed why they were the reigning European champions, beating Madrid 4-0 on Wednesday evening.
Fabian Ruiz scored twice, with Ballon d'Or favourite Ousmane Dembele and Goncalo Ramos getting one each.
The result showed Madrid's new coach, Xabi Alonso, just how much he needs to change to create a winning team again.
Which players will miss Chelsea vs PSG?
But even as Luis Enrique prepares for another final, the Spanish tactician will have to do so without two of his players who will be suspended for the game.
PSG will be without Lucas Hernandez and William Pacho, who were red-carded in their quarter-final game against Bayern Munich.
Pacho was the first to get sent off by referee Anthony Taylor after the Ecuadorian caught Leon Goretzka high.
Minutes later, Hernandez was also given his marching orders after he elbowed Raphael Guerreiro.
Source: Getty Images
A red card will result in an automatic one-match suspension, but the disciplinary committee upgraded their suspensions to two games, which effectively rules them out of the final.
How PSG will replace Pacho, Hernandez
Pacho has become a guaranteed starter under Enrique, forming a solid partnership with captain Marquinhos at the back.
In his absence in the semi-finals, Enrique played Lucas Beraldo. Hernandez, meanwhile, has often been a strong option off the bench with Nuno Mendes preferred ahead of him.
Other players who could miss FIFA Club World Cup final
Chelsea have no suspension concerns on their end. Levi Colwill and Liam Delap will return to the squad after serving their one-match suspensions for accumulated yellow cards.
Maresca will, however, be sweating on the fitness of Moises Caicedo, who appeared to hurt his ankle in the closing stages of the Fluminense game.
The Ecuadorian was spotted with an ice pack around the ankle after the game.
"I told him that he has to do everything to be on the pitch on Sunday, so we will see," Maresca told DAZN.
How did Chelsea and PSG reach FIFA Club World Cup finals?
Chelsea opened their campaign in the United States with a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC before suffering a shock 3-1 defeat to Flamengo in their second group game.
The defeat to Flamengo worked as a charm as they avoided the other end of the draw.
They beat Esperance Tunis in their last group game to qualify as the runners-up and set a Round of 16 clash against Benfica.
Maresca masterminded a 4-1 win over the Portuguese side before beating Palmeiras 2-1 in the quarter-finals.
As for PSG, they started with an emphatic 4-1 win over Atletico Madrid before going 1-0 down to Botafogo. The Parisians recovered to beat Seattle Sounders to win their group.
Enrique beat his former players currently at Inter Miami in the Round of 16 before seeing off Bayern Munich in the hotly-contested game.
Why João Pedro refused to celebrate vs Fluminense
Pedro introduced himself to his new fans by scoring two spectacular goals to send them to the Club World Cup final.
The Brazilian, however, didn't celebrate any of his two goals, choosing to hold his hands up in apology instead.
The 23-year-old was only recently bought from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
