Heel injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic may put PSG on backfoot against Barcelona

A left heel injury will keep Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of Paris Saint-Germain's line-up when they face Barcelona in their Group F Uefa Champions League match on Tuesday night. Greg Baker / AFP

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is out for the match against Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain must find a way to cope without him. He has missed the past two PSG games because of a left heel injury.

Coach Laurent Blanc said intensive treatment failed to resolve the problem.

“In reality, I’d already started preparing for the match without him,” Blanc said.

PELLEGRINI RETURNING FOR CITY AND SO WILL HART

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini will be back in the dugout after returning from suspension when City attempt to move forward their Uefa Champions League campaign against an in-form Roma at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.

The 61-year-old Chilean had to watch from the stands as City opened their Group E campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Bayern Munich two weeks ago and will be hoping that City can win their opening home match for the first time after failing to do so in their three previous campaigns.

England goalkeeper Joe Hart will return for City after being replaced by Willy Caballero at the weekend. Hart sat on the bench for City’s 4-2 win at Hull City in the Premier League, and Argentine Caballero, signed from Malaga in the summer, produced a solid display.

Asked whether Hart would play in a match City cannot afford to lose, Pellegrini said: “Yes, he’s in a very good moment also.”

MANCINI RETURNS TO FAMILIAR GROUNDS

Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said Roma can pull off a shock away at the English champions on Tuesday night. “The key is to counter quickly and seize any chances City might offer. Roma need to be vigilant in defence and be clinical in attack,” Mancini told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

HAZARD A GUESS? HE LIKES CHELSEA’S CHANCES

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard says his side are equipped to win the Uefa Champions League. “With the team we have I think that it’s possible,” he said. “I don’t know if we are the favourites – there is also Real Madrid, who are the holders. Bayern Munich are very strong again this year ... so let’s see how it goes.”

CSKA MUST KEEP DOORS CLOSED FOR MATCH WITH BAYERN

Playing Bayern Munich should have been one of the highlights of CSKA Moscow’s season but the Russian champions will have to play the Group E contest behind closed doors. CSKA were ordered to play in an empty arena by Uefa following the poor behaviour of their fans against Viktoria Plzen last December.

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