South Korean football fans are receiving unfortunate news. It has been reported that Lee Kang-in, a key midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has been excluded from team training around December 30, 2025, due to a left thigh injury. PSG has officially announced that Lee Kang-in will not be able to participate in matches for several weeks due to this injury. The absence of Lee during a crucial part of the season is analyzed to have a significant tactical impact on the team.
Under the guidance of coach Luis Enrique, Lee Kang-in has established himself as a vital asset to PSG’s midfield, injecting vigor into the team. His precise left-footed passes and sharp dribbling skills have played a crucial role in dismantling opposition defenses and creating attacking opportunities. His flexible positioning and pressing ability, moving seamlessly between the wings and the center, have been fundamental to Enrique’s fluid tactical strategies. Statistics reveal that Lee consistently demonstrates high ball possession and chance creation as an attacking midfielder and winger, acting as a lubricant for the team’s offensive play whenever he’s on the field.
Lee Kang-in’s unexpected departure due to injury poses a substantial variable in PSG’s tactical planning. Coach Enrique has been striving to maximize the team’s strengths through diverse rotations and formation changes throughout the season. In a 4-3-3 formation, Lee has participated as a central midfielder contributing to the build-up play, or freelanced as an attacking midfielder in a 4-4-2 diamond, acting as the starting point for attacks. His absence could not only represent the loss of an individual player but also potentially decrease the overall pace and creativity of the team’s attack development.
Currently, PSG’s midfield includes resources such as Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Manuel Ugarte, and Carlos Soler. However, few possess the same ability as Lee to evade pressure and drive actions through penetrative play. While Vitinha is noted for his stable ball retention and passing ability, there’s a distinction between his style and Lee’s quintessential aggressive dribbling and smart combination play in tight spaces. Zaïre-Emery showcases robust physicality and activity in the midfield battles, but his creative playmaking abilities in the offensive zones are still developing.
Ultimately, Coach Enrique will likely face the challenge of altering the midfield lineup or overhauling the attacking tactics to compensate for Lee’s absence. He might consider shifting one of the wingers more centrally to partially share Lee’s playmaking responsibilities. Alternatively, clarifying and redistributing roles among midfielders could be an option, where one focuses on ball distribution and the other increases offensive engagement. However, such changes require the existing players to adapt to new roles, which might influence the team’s stability mid-season.
This injury comes as PSG prepares for crucial fixtures in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Particularly, with the Champions League knockout stage secured, even if Lee returns to the team, he will need time to regain his match rhythm. Therefore, it’s imperative to carefully consider his fitness and tactical role planning in line with his recovery timeline. Implementing a thorough rehabilitation program to prevent reinjury and closely monitoring his condition to manage playing time potently post-recovery is prudent.
Lee Kang-in’s injury has left PSG with unexpected tactical puzzles. This period calls for Coach Enrique’s leadership and the team's cohesion to be more integral than ever. We wish Lee a speedy recovery and hope his return positively impacts PSG’s latter half of the season race.
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