Paris Saint-Germain aren't as prepared as they'd like to face Real Madrid. Mauricio Pochettino's side experienced their latest loss on Monday when they were eliminated from the Coupe de France on penalties by Nice, and there are many questions about their future.
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They'll face Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 in mid-February, and they'll be missing an in-form Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, and Neymar, who is wrapped in cotton wool. Furthermore, rumors abound that Kylian Mbappe has agreed to join Los Blancos at the end of the season.
Pochettino's side were unable to defeat Nice in the Coupe de France, scoring only two goals in 90 minutes and losing on penalties.
According to Le Parisien, Messi is "a shadow" of himself. However, PSG's overall performance continues to be disappointing. Pochettino bears a large share of the blame.
Ramos' most recent setback: suspicions about Neymar
Injuries have hampered their season as well. Sergio Ramos had overcome his early-season issues and even scored, but he experienced another setback last Thursday, putting him out for the rest of the season.
Neymar is still out despite returning to the pitch for the first time since November 24, albeit for very light running. He wants to play against Real Madrid, but Pochettino has indicated it's too early to say whether or not the Brazilian will be ready.
Mbappe and Real Madrid's shadow
The constant speculation over Mbappe's future isn't helping matters, especially since he'll be playing his football next season against PSG's Champions League opponents.
Those in the Parc des Princes would have been furious if Bild had reported on Monday that an agreement had been reached. The player's family has refuted the story, and PSG is still pressuring Mbappe to extend his contract in Paris.
Pochettino is haunted by Zidane's name.
PSG fans are familiar with Zinedine Zidane's name, and many expect him to be named as Pochettino's successor at the end of the season, with the Argentine's tenure at the club regarded as a failure.
Zidane's appointment has been a long-held ambition of the club's owners, who consider him as the man who can lead them to European glory.
A goal-line brawl
Pochettino is also dealing with a struggle for the No. 1 goalkeeper slot, with Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma both putting in strong arguments to make the XI as two of the greatest goalkeepers in the world.
Keylor has played about 1,600 minutes this season, compared to 1,200 minutes for the Italian.
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