PSG Faces Month Without Star Defender Hakimi as Africa Cup of Nations Begins

The Parisian club managed to convince, at the last minute, the Moroccan coach, Walid Regragui, to let Achraf Hakimi play this decisive match against Toulouse before joining the Atlas Lions to prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations. On Tuesday, the eve of the match, the suspense was still high as to the presence of the Moroccan right-back in the Parisian lineup, reports Le Parisien.

Since the arrival of Luis Enrique at the Parc des Princes, the Atlas Lion has regained his best form and is enjoying himself on the pitch where he has developed a great complicity with Ousmane Dembélé. Against Toulouse on Wednesday, the Moroccan international once again proved that he is an essential piece of the squad. "With the talent he has, he can do anything. We’re happy to have a player like that. A great player, talented," Marquinhos said on Amazon Prime about Hakimi.

"He’s a key player in our team and we’ll miss him, but I hope with Morocco he’ll go as far as possible," Ousmane Dembélé confided. Undoubtedly, the departure of the Parisian full-back for the CAN will leave a big void that the Spanish coach will have to fill, even if Hakimi has no real replacement in the team. Carlos Soler or Nordi Mukiele could do the job, but they do not seem to meet Luis Enrique’s tactical expectations.

If Morocco reaches the semifinals of the tournament, Hakimi will not be able to play the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Real Sociedad on February 14. This would be a blow for the Parisian club.