Verratti among PSG stars questionable for Champions League clash vs. Chelsea

Paris Saint-Germain could be in danger of entering its Champions League Round of 16 fixture against Chelsea without three influential players.

Out of the trio of players in question, Marco Verratti's involvement is the biggest doubt, while midfielder Blaise Matuidi and former Chelsea defender David Luiz are questionable after sustaining injuries Saturday against Marseille.

"I'm not sure if he'll play against Chelsea," manager Laurent Blanc told reporters after PSG's 2-1 victory. "We're optimistic. He's 100 percent indispensable to PSG."

Luckily for Blanc, PSG's massive 24-point lead atop the Ligue 1 table will afford him a chance to rest some of his key players ahead of matches in the Champions League and domestic-cup ties.

"We have a big lead in the league," he said. "It's allowed us to rotate the team from time to time. But despite that, we've still got a few niggles. So we have to be careful and remain concentrated like we have been."

Matuidi was removed from Saturday's match after complaining about pain in his adductor, but remains positive that the injury is not serious. Meanwhile, Luiz suffered from pain in his thigh, with Blanc blaming the team's injuries on fatigue.

"It's tiredness - normal, logical," Blanc said. "The problem is you need a bit of time to recover and we're playing again in three days. We'll make do."

PSG hosts Chelsea in the first leg of the knockout round on Feb. 16, with the return leg in London on March 9.