5 players who could be cast aside by Mauricio Pochettino at PSG

Mauricio Pochettino was appointed the new PSG head coach earlier this year. The former Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Espanyol boss put pen to paper on a two-year contract at the Parc des Princes.

In his first managerial assignment since getting sacked by Spurs in November 2019, Pochettino replaced Thomas Tuchel, who was dismissed on Christmas Eve despite PSG beating Strasbourg the night before. Interestingly, Tuchel's dismissal came just four months after steering the French club to their first-ever Champions League final, where they lost to Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

Since taking over at PSG, Pochettino has steered his new side to four wins in his first five games, winning his first career trophy as a manager in the process.

Five players who could be surplus to requirements at PSG

Mauricio Pochettino has a very rich squad in terms of both quality and quantity. However, that would mean some players becoming surplus to requirements under the new PSG manager.

On that note, let us have a look at five such PSG players who may not see much game-time under Pochettino.

#5 Julian Draxler

Julian Draxler

German playmaker Julian Draxler has never been a guaranteed starter at PSG since arriving from Wolfsburg in January 2017.

He has seen 20+ league starts just once during his four-year stint with the French champions due to reasons ranging from injuries or the coach's preference for other players.

With the impending arrival of English playmaker Dele Alli, who played consistently under Pochettino at Tottenham, Draxler might find himself with more reduced game-time.

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#4 Rafinha Alcantara

Rafinha Alcantara celebrating with his PSG teammates

The 27-year-old Rafinha Alcantara moved to PSG last summer after seeing out his contract at Barcelona. However, he has been sparingly used at PSG and has had a few loan spells away from the club too.

He started ten of his 16 games for the club in all competitions this season. However, after getting afflicted by COVID-19 during the Christmas break, he was out of the PSG squad for a month.

It is yet to be seen if Pochettino has the Brazilian in his plans, as others in Rafinha's position have impressed during the player's absence.

#3 Danilo Pereira

Danilo Pereira

In a shock move, Portugal international Danilo Pereira moved to PSG on loan from FC Porto on the last day of the summer transfer window.

He started a few games for PSG earlier in the season, including all six Champions League group-stage matches, playing in an unconventional center-back position due to numerous injuries in the squad.

However, Pereira sustained an injury himself, coming off after only 11 minutes in a home game against Lorient in December.

The injury ruled him out of the rest of the year before Pereira made his return as a substitute in the Cup final against Olympique de Marseille.

Pereria has made only one appearance since then, coming on for the final 14 minutes of PSG's 4-0 win over Montpellier last week.

Mauricio Pochettino has a plethora of options in central midfield. Moreover, with Pereira's loan deal expiring in June, the new PSG manager could be more likely to focus on players who would be at the club for a longer period.

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#2 Presnel Kimpembe

Presnel Kimpembe

PSG academy graduate Presnel Kimpembe partnered captain Marquinhos in the centre of defence after the departure of veteran Thiago Silva. He started 14 games in all competitions for the club before the turn of the new year.

However, apart from a series of shaky performances that have defined most his time at the club, his poor injury record has not helped his situation this season.

Kimpembe found himself in the injured list at the time of Mauricio Pochettino's appointment as the new PSG manager.

Kimpembe's fellow countryman Abdou Diallo has since been integrated into the PSG starting XI. He has started all four games after Pochettino's arrival, putting up very assured performances.

Pochettino looks set to stick with Diallo, as PSG have conceded just one goal in four games with Diallo in the side.

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#1 Thilo Kehrer

Thilo Kehrer

The 24-year-old defender Thilo Kehrer moved to PSG from Schalke in 2018. He enjoyed frequent appearances in his first season at the club but soon found himself slipping down the pecking order.

The German has managed just 12 league starts for PSG in the last two seasons, largely in part due to injuries and the sheer quality present in the team.

Things looked set to change under Pochettino, as Kehrer played the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw at Saint-Ettiene, which marked the new coach's first game in charge.

However, Kehrer was dropped from the team for the next three games, including the Cup final, before making his return as a substitute against Montpellier.

While the Geman can play anywhere across the back-line, the quality PSG possess makes it difficult for him to break into the first team.

It should be no surprise if Pochettino opts for more proven players, as he aims to lead the French giants to their first-ever Champions League trophy.