Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona: Blanc hopeful of Ibrahimovic return

Paris Saint-Germain are hopeful Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be fit for their UEFA Champions League clash with Barcelona on Tuesday.

The Sweden international has missed each of PSG’s last two matches with a heel injury, and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit to face his former club at the Parc des Princes.

Laurent Blanc’s side coped well without their talisman against Caen, sealing a 2-0 win away from home, but a trip to Toulouse on Saturday proved more testing as the reigning French champions were held to a 1-1 draw.

“We have some hope of getting him back for Barcelona,” said Blanc.

The prognosis is less positive for Thiago Silva, however, who has not featured for PSG since suffering a hamstring injury in a friendly against Napoli last month, while a similar problem for Ezequiel Lavezzi means the Argentinian is highly unlikely to play.

“We are following the evolution of his [Silva] injury on a daily basis but he is not ready,” Blanc said. “His injury is evolving positively but slowly. We have no exact date for his return.”

Before his injury, Ibrahimovic had scored seven goals in as many appearances this season, and PSG will be desperate to have him back to face his former employers.

PSG have made an unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 campaign, although five of their eight matches have ended in draws, while their opening Group F fixture with Ajax finished 1-1.

Barcelona defeated APOEL 1-0 at Camp Nou on matchday one, and Luis Enrique’s men have made an impressive start to their Liga title challenge.

The Catalan giants are yet to concede a goal in any competition this season, and have taken 16 points from six matches in the league, including a 6-0 thumping of Granada on Saturday which featured a hat-trick for Neymar and a brace for Lionel Messi.

“If he [Ibrahimovic] is injured he’s a very important loss to the team,” said Luis Enrique. “I think they are a team that is going to come at us thinking they can get a result.

“I have watched a couple of PSG’s matches. I have watched them against Ajax and they are one of the teams who could win the Champions League this season. They have a really good side on attack and are very strong at the back.

“They have many solutions on the pitch. It’s obvious they depend on Ibrahimovic but they have also [Edinson] Cavani, even they won’t have for that match Lavezzi.”

Barca’s only forced absentees are Rafinha (muscular injury) and third-choice goalkeeper Jordi Masip (fractured finger), while Thomas Vermaelen and Martin Montoya were both left out of the matchday squad.