Who is Timothee Pembele? Meet PSG's 20-year-old defender who earns rare start against Rennes due to club's ongoing injury crisisÂ
Timothee Pembele has started for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the back in their Ligue 1 home clash against Stade Rennes on Sunday (March 19). He started at right-back in a five-man defence comprising Juan Bernat, Danilo Pereira, El Chadaille Bitshiabu and Nuno Mendes.
Sergio Ramos and Presnel Kimpembe are out with injuries. Marquinhos has also been sidelined after suffering an injury against Bayern Munich. Amid the absence of key players, Pembele has been deployed as a right-back. The 20-year-old has made five appearances for the Parisians this season, having made 24 overall appearances.
Pembele, 20, missed most of the season due to a cruciate ligament injury. The youngster, though, has recovered and is now back in action. Coming up through the ranks of the Parisians, Pembele spent a spell with Bordeaux too.
Christophe Galtier's team, meanwhile, have a chance to extend their ten-point lead over second-placed Lens atop the Ligue 1 standings. They have 67 points from 27 games.
PSG manager Christophe Galtier lauds Rennes ahead of Ligue 1 clash
Rennes are sixth in Ligue 1 heading into their clash against PSG. Christophe Galtier lauded the team's organisation, saying ahead of the Ligue 1 showdown (via RMC Sport):
"They also suffered in the match sequences; they lost an important player, Martin Terrier. They are a very well organised team, which caused us a lot of problems in the first leg. There are a lot of people I appreciatenin Rennes. I follow their careers. They have a lot of potential to cause problems, they have depth and bability to defend well. We will have to take out a great game."
Rennes are coming off two wins in their last five games. The clash against the Parisians is certainly one of their toughest tests of the season. While PSG have been shown the door in the UEFA Champions League, they remain the most dominant side in Ligue 1.