Lee’s projected starting lineup for opener…includes freshmen and offensive linemen

Lee Kang-in has been included in Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) expected opening day roster.

PSG will host Lorient in the first round of the 2023-24 French Ligue 1 at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France, at 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 13.

With three days to go before the match, the expected roster is starting to emerge. L’Equipe, one of France’s leading media outlets, predicted that Lee Kang-in will start the opening match against Lorient. The publication predicts that Lee will line up alongside Gonzalo Hamus and Marco Asensio, who joined the team in the summer transfer window, in Luis Enrique’s preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Lee Kang-in is expected to start on the left wing. In previous preseason games, he has started on the right wing, but Asensio is listed on the right wing in the projected roster because Lee can play on the flanks and in the center.

The Requiem has Manuel Ugarte, Warren Zaire Emery, and Vitinha in the middle of its projected roster. The defense is Luca Hernandez, Milan Shkreliar, Marquinhos, and Ashraf Hakimi. In goal is Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Neymar and Marco Verratti, who have been rumored to be on their way out, and Kylian Mbappe, whose relationship with PSG has fallen apart, are both missing from the list. Recently, French outlet RMC Sport reported that Luis Campos and Enrique took five players aside, including Neymar and Verratti, and effectively handed them their release papers, stating that they were not in the plans for next season. L’Equipe also seems to have taken this into account and has left Neymar and Verratti off its projected roster, even though they are mainstays of the team. 꽁머니

The same goes for Mbappe. Mbappe has been estranged from PSG since the club said they would not sign a contract extension and would not exercise the option for a one-year extension. He was left off the roster for the preseason Asia tour and has been training with the second team, and there are reports that PSG is planning to mobilize the crowd for the opening game to put pressure on Mbappe.

Of all the players missing from the expected roster, Neymar and Mbappe seem like the biggest holes. PSG has brought in a number of players to replace them, including Lee Kang-in, Hammus, and Asensio, as well as a number of younger players. The Lorient game is a chance to see if PSG’s chosen project is on the right track.