The preseason continues for OM when it really seems to start this Wednesday for PSG. The Parisians face this Wednesday evening (7 p.m.) the German club Augsburg, at the Stade de la Source d'Orléans. If the capital club has already played against Le Mans (4-0, July 14) and Chambly (2-2, 17), this is the first time that it will play outside the Camp des Loges this season. The two meetings against the residents of the National were rather considered as training oppositions by Mauricio Pochettino and his staff. Faced with the 13th in the last Bundesliga, adversity should be tougher and more telling even if the Argentinian coach will not be able to count on a more extensive squad than against Le Mans and Chambly.
It will even be slightly less fleshed out since Achraf Hakimi, present against the Sarthois club, is not traveling to Loiret. Tested positive for Covid-19 before the meeting against Chambly last Saturday, the Moroccan finally made his return to training on Tuesday. His positive test was caused by a viral overload and not by a second contamination with the virus (he had already been infected last season with Inter). Besides Hakimi, Sergio Ramos will not face the German club either. Although present in training, the Spaniard is still in trouble after his many physical problems contracted last year with Real Madrid. Paris wants to be careful with its new star. Mauricio Pochettino therefore takes with him a young group, among which we find Ismaël Gharbi and Xavi Simons.Nevertheless, a few executives should lead this juvenile class. Keylor Navas, Mauro Icardi, Julian Draxler, Thilo Kehrer and Idrissa Gueye should have playing time against Augsburg. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Georginio Wijnaldum are therefore still missing among the new recruits. The four new Parisian faces will therefore not see Orléans.
A single recruit absent in Marseille
Unlike the Parisians, OM will be able to count on six of its seven summer arrivals against Braga (9 p.m.).
Jorge Sampaoli was able to summon Matteo Guendouzi, William Saliba and Luan Peres for the first time, while Gerson, Cengiz Ünder and Konrad De la Fuente were already present against Servette de Genève in Fos-sur-Mer last Thursday (3-1) .
Guendouzi, who arrived on loan from Arsenal, has therefore recovered from his fractured fifth metatarsus contracted with Hertha Berlin at the end of last season.
Only missing among the new: Pau Lopez, the new goalkeeper arrived from AS Roma, who will not fly with his teammates to Portugal.
Jorge Sampaoli will therefore be able to count on an already almost complete workforce when it comes to playing his fourth preparation match, and trying to bring back a fourth victory. Victorious against Martigues (3-0, July 4), Sète (2-1, 11) and Servette (3-1, 15), the Marseille club shows interesting things despite the significant contribution of new blood. Sometimes still a little fragile in its organization, the recruits brought real added value against the Genevans. Gerson opened the scoring while De la Fuente was decisive double assist at the end of the game for Dario Benedetto. The Argentine striker could well be established this Wednesday on the lawn of the Estadio Axa.
