Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho has fallen ill and will be rested ahead of the French club's weekend Ligue 1 fixture.

PSG are in a fortunate situation when it comes to player selection ahead of their Champions League semi-final with Arsenal which kicks off at the Emirates on April 29.

Having already been crowned French champions with six games remaining in the league, they will not need to put any players at risk ahead of any mid-week European matches. The one thing that PSG cannot control is external injuries or illnesses, something which they have now been struck with.

Pacho, Luis Enrique's most-used defender, has fallen ill. The club have released a statement saying that the 23-year-old full back will be rested until Sunday, which means he will miss PSG's weekend fixture against Le Havre.

The Ecuadorian has been a consistent performer for PSG. He has played more games throughout this season than Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Achraf Hakimi - some of the biggest and most feared names in the squad.

Luis Enrique during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between Aston Villa FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park.
PSG boss Luis Enrique will be hoping Pacho can make a quick recovery

The Parisians will be hoping Pacho recovers in time for their clash with Arsenal in north London at the end of April, especially with the likes of Bukayo Saka back in the squad and already causing opponents issues. Mikel Merino has also found himself a number of goals during his time as replacement striker.

Before the first leg, the Gunners will play Ipswich away from home and Crystal Palace at the Emirates. Although Mikel Arteta's squad sit in second, they can't afford to drop any points in the Premier League as the fight for a Champions League spot seems closer than ever.

PSG will play three games in the meantime with only one of their opponents being in the top 10 in Ligue 1, Nice. As stated before, Enrique will be able to rotate his squad to his liking with the French title already secured.

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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023

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