Paris Saint-Germain have named a 23-man PSG squad for Wednesday night’s Champions League opener against Slovan Bratislava at the Parc des Princes, and it is about as close to a full complement as Luis Enrique could have hoped for. Get French Football News reports that the holders are without only one senior name — and it is not one that will keep anyone in the capital awake.
Third-choice goalkeeper Alessandro Longoni is the sole absentee, with no reason given for his omission. Academy goalkeeper Adam Mouak takes his place behind Matvey Safonov and Lucas Chevalier. Everyone else who matters is available.
Nuno Mendes returns from suspension
The headline inclusion is Nuno Mendes. The Portuguese left-back had been serving a suspension and has yet to play for Les Parisiens in September, so his return hands Luis Enrique back his first-choice option on that flank at the exact moment the season needs steadying. Anyone who has forgotten how he came to be sitting out can revisit the red card and the referee’s report that followed.
Mendes is expected to go straight back in. According to L’Équipe, cited in GFFN’s predicted line-up, he returns on the left while Achraf Hakimi may be rested on the opposite side, with Warren Zaïre-Emery among those who could be asked to cover. Ferran Torres is tipped for a start on the right of the attack alongside Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — which, if it happens, would mean no place from the off for Désiré Doué or Maghnes Akliouche. That is a prediction rather than a team sheet, and Luis Enrique has never been shy of ignoring one.
The full PSG squad v Slovan Bratislava
Goalkeepers: Matvey Safonov, Lucas Chevalier, Adam Mouak
Defenders: Lucas Hernández, Nuno Mendes, Lucas Digne, Illia Zabarnyi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Achraf Hakimi
Midfielders: João Neves, Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lucas Beraldo, Senny Mayulu, Dro Fernández
Forwards: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Mika Godts, Quentin Ndjantou, Ousmane Dembélé, Ferran Torres, Désiré Doué, Maghnes Akliouche
One note on the grouping: Beraldo is listed among the midfielders but is a centre-back by trade, which tells you something about how Luis Enrique thinks about the space in front of his defence. Otherwise it is the squad as listed in our full 2026/27 first-team guide, right down to the academy forwards in Godts and Ndjantou.
A defence that begins under pressure
Paris start their defence of the European Cup in an odd position: unbeaten in Europe for two seasons, and winless in Ligue 1 after three matches. Draws at Rennes (2-2) and Lille (2-2) were followed by a 2-1 defeat by Monaco, who now lead the table with PSG seven points behind, per Get French Football News. Luis Enrique’s own verdict on the opening weeks has been blunt — he has described the start as catastrophic, and told reporters it had been a disastrous start if results are all you look at.
Marquinhos, meanwhile, has set the bar for what follows. Speaking in a press conference attended by GFFN ahead of the opener, the captain said a third consecutive title “would be historic”, adding: “It is very difficult to win one, [then] two, so to win three is so, so difficult. Other teams have also recruited. It will be even more difficult to win compared to previous years.”
Slovan Bratislava, coached by Yaya Touré, are the first of eight league-phase fixtures — and if you need a refresher on how that format now works, we have explained it here. On this evidence, Luis Enrique has close to every option available to him for the start of it. The only thing missing so far this season has been a result in the league.
