Paris Saint-Germain came away from Strasbourg with a valuable 3-1 win in the seventh round of the French league, but the night came at a cost. Two injuries have left them sweating, three days before the eagerly awaited clash with Barcelona in the Champions League.
French network "RMC Sport" reported that the Parisians, who settled the match through the brilliance of their substitutes, ended the evening worried about the physical condition of several players, chief among them Portuguese full-back Nuno Mendes and French winger Magnes Akliouche.
Luis Enrique leaned on a modified line-up and watched his side turn the game around, with substitutes Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue making the difference. The victory was far from trouble-free ahead of that European test.
Nuno Mendes injury disrupts Luis Enrique's plans
Mendes limped off in the closing minutes. That sparked immediate concern within the coaching staff, with the decisive Barcelona tie in the Champions League just around the corner.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Luis Enrique said: "I hope the injury is not serious. We will assess the situation tomorrow, and we did not want to take any risks."
Making matters worse, PSG had already used all their substitutions. The team had to see out the remaining minutes with 10 men after the Portuguese full-back went off, with no clarity yet on the nature of his injury or whether he might be available for the next match.
Strong tackle sparks controversy over Akliouche injury
Mendes was not the only worry. Akliouche sustained an ankle injury in the opening minutes after a strong tackle from Strasbourg's Guela Doue.
The incident did not go down well in the Parisian camp, with questions raised over why the Strasbourg man escaped a red card.
Replays showed Mitchell's foot catching Akliouche's ankle as he stretched for the ball.
Two injuries now leave Luis Enrique facing important questions about his options before Barcelona, at a time when his side need every ounce of their strength to come through in Europe.
Clarity should arrive once the players' medical condition has been assessed. PSG are waiting on the results of the examinations to determine their chances of featuring in Tuesday's match.