PSG players set to miss Ballon d’Or ceremony

PSG have eight current players nominated for the Ballon d’Or ahead of Monday night’s awards ceremony, but the French champions have now been scheduled to play Marseille at the same time after the game was postponed by 24 hours.

The Parisians had travelled to the south of France to play in the country’s biggest fixture, Le Classique, but adverse weather conditions meant the game couldn’t be played on Sunday. Ligue 1 rules state that it must be played 24 hours later, leading to the awkward clash.

Ousmane Dembele is one of the leading contenders for the Ballon d’Or with a further eight of PSG’s players also nominated following their treble success, which included their first ever Champions League victory. Over the past two decades a player who lands the European Cup often scoops the Ballon d’Or.

He and highly-rated teammate Desire Doue, who is another nominee, were not included in Luis Enrique’s squad for the Marseille game due to injury. It means they will have to make a choice about attending the match or the ceremony, which will be held at Paris’ Theatre du Chatelet.

However a host of their other team-mates will have to remain focused on the game as PSG bid to make it five wins from their opening five games. Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Nuno Mendes and Joao Neves are all nominees. Gianluigi Donnarumma, who recently swapped Paris for Manchester City, is also up for the award.

The main threat to Dembele winning the Ballon d’Or is Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal. The Spanish star won the domestic double with the Catalans and enjoyed some stellar moments in the Champions League before his side were knocked out in the semi-finals.