PSG pups let loose on Lyon

Paris Saint-Germain FC coach Paul Le Guen has said his experiment with teenage talent was "not a one-off" as his side meet table toppers Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday.

Disappointing start
Tipped again to win their first title since 1994, PSG have disappointed once more, lying 14th in Ligue 1 with 12 points – less than half of Lyon's current total. It may constitute an improvement on the 2006/07 campaign, described by president Alain Cayzac as "the worst season ever in the history of the club", but there remains a huge scope for improvement.

Five youngsters
With this in mind, Le Guen made a bold step for last week's game at Valenciennes FC, fielding five players aged 20 and under: defender Mamadou Sakho, 17, midfielders Younousse Sankharé, 18, and Granddi N'Goyi, 19, as well as strikers Loris Arnaud, 20, and David N'Gog, 18. Established stars Bernard Mendy, Pégguy Luyindula, Pauleta, Pierre-Alain Frau and Sylvain Armand were dropped.

'Genuine competition'
A goalless draw has not discouraged Le Guen, however, nor has the absence of N'Gog on international duty with France's Under-19 side, with the former Lyon and Rangers FC coach saying: "It's not a one-off. I want genuine competition for places in the squad. The side needs to be shaken up and those young players have skills which can bear fruit at the Parc des Princes."

Dangerous game
Sakho was the youngest player on the pitch against Valenciennes, and was also named captain. "I was moved to receive this honour but straight away I focused on the game," he said. However, Sakho's France Under-17 coach François Blaquart was not convinced by this approach, saying he was "not sure that piling responsibility on young players in such a high-pressure side is the best thing for them."

'Unpredictable but exciting'
That is unlikely to deter Le Guen from his path though as PSG seek their first win at home against Lyon in three seasons. Young striker Karim Benzema, 19, and winger Hatem Ben Arfa, 20, have been shining stars for Lyon this season and are excited by meeting their teenage counterparts. "They are players we know well," Ben Arfa said. "It will be an unpredictable but exciting game if they play." However, Lyon are without left-back Fabio Grosso due to a foot injury while midfielder Jérémy Toulalan is sidelined with a knee injury.