Neymar could play his first game for Paris St-Germain since November when they host Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
The Brazilian is back in training after suffering an ankle injury.
Ex-Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos is PSG’s only absentee as he continues to struggle with a calf problem.
“Given the players involved this could have been the final,” said PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Pochettino’s side lost in the semi-finals to Manchester City last season and the pressure is growing on the former Tottenham boss to deliver a first European title to the French side.
The Qatar-owned club lost the 2020 final to Bayern Munich but before that had gone out in the last 16 in three straight seasons.
Lionel Messi, who signed from Barcelona in the summer, has scored five of his seven goals for the club in the Champions League and also netted a record 26 times against Real Madrid during his time at Barca.
“PSG have been trying to win this trophy for 50 years, so we are the challengers,” said Pochettino, whose team are 13 points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
“We have so much respect for Real Madrid as one of the best teams in the world. You don’t win 13 European Cups thanks to your coaches, that is down to the overall strength of the club.
“We are the challengers, a lot of effort has gone into building a squad to achieve our dream but we’re still the challengers and Real Madrid are the ones who have a habit of winning the Champions League.”
Real have issues of their own, with French duo Ferland Mendy and Karim Benzema having been absent since picking up hamstring injuries in their 2-2 draw against Elche last month.
Left-back Mendy is expected to be fit, however, there is less certainty over the fitness of striker Benzema, who is the club’s top scorer this season with 24 goals in all competitions.
“I am always prepared to force it for my team, otherwise I would have stayed back in Madrid, but I am not going to risk injuring myself again either,” Benzema said.
In his absence, Carlo Ancelotti’s side have scored just one goal in three games and Gareth Bale was brought in for Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Villarreal in La Liga – his first appearance since August.
Bale is out of contract at the end of this season but Ancelotti indicated the Welshman will still have a role to play between now and then.
“He is coming to the end of his contract,” said the Italian. “Maybe in the past he didn’t have much motivation but now he is fine and he wants to finish here in the way he deserves to, because Bale has helped this club win so many titles.”
