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Laurent Blanc optimistic about Chelsea game despite PSG injuries

Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc is hopeful that he has sufficient players to take on Chelsea in the Champions League next week if Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti are unavailable.

Both midfielders are set to miss the Ligue 1 leaders' home match against Montpellier on Saturday though injury, although Blanc confirmed that Angel Di Maria is fit to return.

PSG face Chelsea in their last-16 second-leg tie in London on Wednesday holding a 2-1 advantage after the first game between the sides in Paris on Feb. 16.

Hoping to concentrate on the French champions' league game, Blanc began his news conference on Friday by saying he would not be discussing Chelsea.

But he broke his self-imposed ban when asked how Matuidi, 28, was progressing after he was injured in Tuesday's 3-1 Coupe de France quarterfinal victory at Saint-Etienne on Wednesday.

"When a player goes off because he has a little pain behind his leg you're obliged to have some concerns," Blanc said.

"He should be in the process of doing tests right now. We're going to follow that with a lot of attention of course.

"It's never a good sign. We're not going to lie.

"But we're going to see how serious it is and above all hope to have the possibility to get him back not for tomorrow -- and it's me who's made the infringement -- but for Chelsea. It's the first and last time I'll pronounce the name of this club."

Addressing his reluctance to look ahead to the Chelsea game, Blanc said he felt there was too much focus in France on the Champions League, with the implication being that other matches "no longer have any value."

But he returned to the subject when pressed on how soon Verratti, 23, could return from a groin injury that is affecting the Italy international's pubic bone.

"Marco has not a muscle injury but in the bone," Blanc explained.

"It's more problematic because with a muscle injury you can do things -- you can think about having a recovery programme. With the bone, it's more difficult to resolve. That's why Marco's injury is a bit delicate.

"Blaise's injury is muscular so we'll see can we get these two players back as quickly as possible. We're going to do everything we possibly can.

"If it's not the case, we have other players. You can't fall into a panic either by saying that 'if we don't have those two players we can't do anything.' No, we have quite large squad."

Blanc pointed out that Adrien Rabiot had been "excellent" for 70 minutes when he replaced Verratti in their Champions League group stage meeting with Real Madrid in Spain.

PSG are also without right-back Serge Aurier, who has been forced to train with the club's reserve sides for three weeks as a result of filming a social media video in which he made disparaging remarks about Blanc and several teammates.

Speaking on Friday, Blanc said he had got "good feedback" about Aurier's first week of training.