Paris Saint-Germain travel south to face Nice on Friday as Thomas Tuchel's side continue their bid to keep the Ligue 1 crown.

The Parisian side sit two points clear at the top of the table after nine games, but have already lost league encounters with Stade Reims and Rennes this term.

PSG players will therefore be wary of the potential threat carried by a Nice side which has established itself as a reliable mid-table unit over the last few years.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Tuchel could line up for the trip to the Allianz Riviera.

Out: Neymar (hamstring), Colin Dagba (hamstring), Julian Draxler (foot), Thilo Kehrer (foot), Kylian Mbappe (hamstring)
Doubtful: Edinson Cavani (hip)

PSG once again find themselves short in attack after Neymar, having scored during the 4-0 win over Angers last time out, picked up another hamstring problem over the international break.

The Brazilian will have to join Mbappe on the sidelines and watch the impressive Pablo Sarabia take his place. The Spaniard, signed from Valencia over the summer, has featured prominently under Tuchel, making 10 appearances in total and claiming a goal and two assists against Angers.

While Cavani has resumed training with the main group, it is likely that loan signing Mauro Icardi will get another chance to impress down the middle, with the Inter Milan forward now off the mark both domestically and in Europe.

Further back in midfield, things become more predictable. Idrissa Gueye has been a remarkable breath of fresh air for the Parisians, while Marco Verratti is something of a lynchpin. Leandro Paredes, although hardly a regular, often gets the nod in league games such as these, and will be expected to link up with the front three.

PSG rarely leak goals in the league, but their defending has been especially impressive so far this season, keeping nine clean sheets from their opening 12 games in all competitions, and it largely comes down to the combination of experience and power brought by Thiago Silva and Presnel Kimpembe, who are shoe-ins for Friday.

The game against Angers saw Ander Herrera feature at right-back - something Jose Mourinho made him do at Manchester United during last season's 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur - due to Tuchel being without either Thomas Meunier or Dagba, but the Belgian has returned to fitness and looks set to reclaim his spot in the defence.

On the other side, Tuchel may opt against risking Juan Bernat after the Spaniard played the full 90 minutes of Spain's 1-1 draw in Sweden on Tuesday as he looks to rotate his options ahead of the Champions League resuming next week.

In his place comes new signing Abdou Diallo, who arrived from Borussia Dortmund over the summer and is currently ahead of Layvin Kurzawa in the pecking order.