Verratti could start Champions League final, Navas a doubt for PSG

Marco Verratti is fit enough to start the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, but Keylor Navas remains a doubt.

A calf injury meant Verratti travelled to Portugal later than the rest of his team-mates and missed the quarter-final victory over Atalanta, during which goalkeeper Navas sustained a hamstring injury.

While Navas and Idrissa Gueye sat out the semi-final triumph against RB Leipzig, Italy midfielder Verratti was sent on for the final seven minutes with PSG already leading 3-0.

Barring any incidents in training on Saturday, Verratti will be in Thomas Tuchel’s thoughts for the starting line-up against Bayern at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday.

However, Navas’ availability hinges on how he performs in that session.

“Marco and Idrissa have trained with us since the Leipzig match. No issues at all. They will be involved in the entire training session, so they are available,” said Tuchel.

“Keylor Navas is a different case. He will try to train normally today, it’ll be the first time he’s trained. It’ll be a yes or no decision, it’s black and white on that. We will see after training.”

Asked if Verratti was too much of a risk for the starting XI, Tuchel said: “Well, he was hit. It wasn’t a muscle injury. The risk isn’t great. If he is comfortable, if he is not in pain, it is different.

“It’s the same as Kylian [Mbappe]. Will he [Verratti] have the best ability to play 120 minutes? Obviously not. The question is, ‘Is he ready to play?’

“If nothing happens today in training, the answer is yes. Then we will decide tomorrow whether he will start or not.

“If he is part of the group today during training, feeling good, he will be able to play tomorrow.

“Obviously he won’t be able to play 90-120 minutes, especially in midfield where we expect a lot of intensity. We will see if he can start or end it for us.”

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Bayern have been triumphant in all of their 10 Champions League games this season and are on a 20-game winning streak in all competitions.

Hansi Flick’s side have scored 42 goals in the competition – three fewer than the all-time record set by Barcelona from 16 games in 1999-2000 – but Tuchel is not planning massive changes to PSG’s approach.

“We always respect the opponents. It’s important to share information and details to my team, to give some solutions,” said Tuchel.

“We will do what we did in the past for every Champions League game, as well as in Ligue 1. Bayern have won their past 20 games. They are so strong with all of their individual qualities. They are very intense. They want to play, but there are always spaces to be found.

“It is so important to find a good mix between playing freely, being confident, and finding key situations and key spaces, and you can only do so if you are free-minded.

“This is why we won’t be adapting too much. In the end, it is not a game to change a lot of things. Maybe one or two positions, that’s it.”