Paris Saint-Germain will continue the defence of their Ligue 1 title when they welcome Nantes to the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.

Thomas Tuchel's side saw Sunday's meeting with Monaco postponed due to poor weather, while Nantes responded to a recent bad patch of form by recording a 2-1 win over Toulouse.

Match preview

As the new year approaches, PSG find themselves considerably ahead of their nearest challengers Marseille, leading their rivals from the south of France by five points with a game in hand.

Indeed, as the Parisian club strolls towards another inevitable title, their biggest task will be to maintain the right level of intensity whilst also avoiding any further injuries.

The return of Neymar to the team has been timely, with the Brazilian coming off the bench against Real Madrid and playing a shaping role in an impressive late comeback at the Bernabeu last week.

With the Brazilian back in the fold, Tuchel will be aware of the importance of cementing a first-choice starting XI that can guarantee a particular level of cut and thrust for when the knockout phases of the Champions League arrive in February.

The game against Nantes, after the frustration of not playing on Sunday, provides PSG with an excellent chance to let their shackles off and play with real ambition against a solid team.

Many will not give Christian Gourcuff's side a chance ahead of this game given that they have not won in Paris since November 2002.

However, Nantes ought to take plenty of inspiration from last season's 3-2 win over PSG in April, during which the home side came back from a goal down to produce a ferocious display, scoring three goals in 30 minutes to kill the game.

Currently sixth in Ligue 1, Nantes have cemented their status as competent mid-table dwellers over the last few years, balancing a mediocre away record with an impressive amount of pedigree at home.

That said, Nantes have been anything other than predictable so far this term, following a run of six wins from seven games with no victories in five league outings prior to last weekend's success over Toulouse, highlighting how this team seems to go through particular phases of form throughout a campaign.

In the cauldron of the Parc des Princes, Nantes will not just need greater consistency to their performance level but also a huge slice of fortune.

Recent Paris Saint-Germain form: WLWWWD
Recent Nantes form: LDLLDW

Team News

Marco Verratti's bad spell of injuries continued last week, with the Italian suffering a recurrence of a thigh problem, while Ander Herrera is also sidelined due to a thigh injury.

Eric Choupo-Moting and Loic Mbe Soh are PSG's only other absentees as the pair nurse respective back and groin problems.

Nantes will be without former Manchester United full-back Fabio Da Silva, whose knee cap injury is set to keep him out for the rest of the campaign.

Midfielder Marcus Coco is the only other injury problem for Nantes, with the player not expected to return until February.

Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Navas; Dagba, Diallo, Kimpembe, Bernat; Marquinhos, Gueye, Draxler; Di Maria, Mbappe, Neymar

Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Appiah, Girotto, Pallois, Traore; Louza, Toure; Abeid, Blas, Simon; Coulibaly

We say: Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 Nantes

With the home side boosted by Neymar's presence and determined to restore their lead over Marseille back to eight points, expect PSG to put in a convincing performance against Nantes on Wednesday night, as the Brazilian most likely gets on the scoresheet.