Ligue 1: Are Lionel Messi and Neymar playing for PSG against Nantes? Here's an update

After a brilliant 3-0 win against Toulouse in midweek, Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are all set to take on Nantes on Saturday night at the Stade de la Beaujoire. With PSG currently tied on points with second-placed Lens and third-placed Marseille, they cannot take any game lightly, meaning that they will need their best players to feature against Nantes. With that in mind, here is a look at whether Lionel Messi and Neymar will play for PSG tonight or not.

Will Messi & Neymar play for PSG against Nantes?

In the squad that PSG released for the game against Nantes, both Lionel Messi and Neymar were named in it. Moreover, with both stars having been actively seen in training, it is expected that they would feature in the game against their Ligue 1 opponents this weekend.

One of the main reasons why coach Christophe Galtier can decide against featuring Messi and Neymar is that the UEFA Champions League (UCL) begins next week. PSG are set to take on Serie A giants Juventus in their first group stage game on Tuesday night.

Ahead of the game against Nantes, Galtier had also suggested that he would make some changes with the upcoming UCL fixture in mind. "The league is very important for us, a lot of teams are playing games every three days. There will be squad rotation on both sides before both teams play a European game," explained Galtier.

Messi & Neymar's stats in 2022/23 season

After a difficult campaign last year, Lionel Messi has already found the back of the net on three occasions from his first five league matches for PSG in the 2022/23 season. In this time, he has already contributed with four assists. On the other hand, Neymar has had a far better start to the new season, having scored seven league goals (six assists) from his first five league matches.

PSG vs Nantes team news:

Nantes predicted starting line-up: Lafont; Corchia, Castelletto, Pallois, Appiah; Moutoussamy, Girotto; Blas, Bamba, Guessand; Mohamed 

PSG predicted starting line-up: Donnarumma; Pereira, Marquinhos, Ramos; Bernat, Vitinha, Verratti, Hakimi; Messi, Neymar, Mbappe