15 PSG players back training, including a nearly forgotten returnee

A few hours after the resumption of training for PSG, the players who were there and those who were not are already known a little more. Finally, they were 15 players, including some youngsters.

Three and a half weeks after their last game against Auxerre and three weeks before the resumption of Ligue 1 against Strasbourg on Wednesday, Dec. 28, the PSG players not called up to play in the World Cup returned to training on Wednesday.

PSG coach Christophe Galtier received them after his visit to Qatar earlier this week and led a session with a reduced squad since there were only 15 players available.

Fabian Ruiz is one of the footballers who have returned. Injured in Turin at the beginning of November, he is expected to be fit and fully available for the resumption of Ligue 1 in late December.

On the other hand, Presnel Kimpembe was present at Camp des Loges but continues to recover according to Le Parisien. No return date has been announced, but in any case, he has returned from Qatar where he attended the Aspetar clinic to speed up his recovery ahead of the second half of the season.

After an injury sidelined him for seven months, Timothee Pembele finally returned to training with PSG

The real big comeback is that of Timothee Pembele, seven months after his serious knee injury occurred. That injury happened while the 20-year-old full-back was on loan at Girondins de Bordeaux.

It should also be noted that the two Italians -- Marco Verratti and Gigio Donnarumma -- were missing. The two of them were given a few more days off after playing with Italy at the end of November.

Players already eliminated from World Cup contention, such as Keylor Navas, Carlos Soler, and Pablo Sarabia will return to Paris over the next few days.

Galtier announced that PSG are giving their World Cup performers up to ten days after their exit from the tournament to return to the training ground.

The aforementioned Costa Rica and Spain internationals should be back by the time PSG faces
Quevilly in their second friendly of the month on Dec. 21.

To make up for all the current absences, Galtier summoned a good number of players from the Under-19 group.

Ismael Gharbi and Ayman Kari remained in the under-19 squad, but Lucas Lavallee (goalkeeper), Younes El Hannach (centre-back), Hugo Lamy (right-back), Ethan Mbappe (midfielder), and even Ilyes Housni (forward) were all training with the first team on Wednesday.

Here are the members of PSG present at the start of the mid-season training camp:

• Goalkeepers: Rico, Letellier, Lavallee.
• Defenders: Ramos, Mukiele, Bernat, Pembele, Bitshiabu, El Hannach, Lamy.
• Midfielders: Fabian Ruiz, Renato Sanches, Zaire-Emery, E. Mbappe.
• Attackers: Ekitike, Housni.