PSG hope to return to the Ligue 1 summit with three points from this match and thus welcome the winter break in optimistic mood, but league leaders Lyon will give their best to prevent that from happening.

Given the heavy investment in the playing squad, Paris Saint-Germain are clearly not playing to their potential this term, but there is still plenty of time left to save this season.

Team’s Champions League campaign is progressing nicely, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side having qualified to the knockout rounds from the top of their group, but the Saints are still unable to climb to the top of the Ligue 1 standings.

Champions League victory over Porto seems to have been just the boost they needed to turn things around, with 4-0 wins over Evian and Valenciennes getting the team in the right mood before the all-important clash with Lyon.

As a result, PSG are just 1.75 (3/4) with BetVictor to win this game, whereas they are 1.48 (10/21) with Betfair to cross the finish line ahead of their title rivals.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic should start despite missing training on Thursday, but Alex and Mathieu Bodmer are injury doubts.

Probable starting line-up (4-3-3): Sirigu – Jallet, Sakho, Thiago Silva, Maxwell – Motta, Verratti, Matuidi – Menez, Ibrahimovic, Lavezzi.

Olympique Lyon began the new league campaign severely weakened, with the likes of Lloris, Cris, Kallstrom, Cissokho and Ederson all leaving the club.

It was for that reason that nobody saw les Gones as genuine title contenders, not even their own chairman, but they have, nonetheless, impressed to climb to the Ligue 1 summit.

Lyon missed a great chance to increase their three-point cushion as they fail to beat bottom-placed Nancy in midweek, but a good result at Parc des Princes would make everyone forget all about that setback.

Having won last two derbies away from home, beating Marseille and Saint Etienne, les Gones are 5.25 (17/4) with Stan James to make it three in a row.

Maxime Gonalons returns from suspension, but Mouhamadao Dabo is still banned. Yoann Gourcuff, Jimmy Briand and Clement Grenier are all out injured.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Vercoutre – Reveillere, Bisevac, Lovren, Monzon – Malbranque, Gonalons – Lacazette, Lopez, Bastos – Gomis.