#INSERT type:image caption:PSG have left Angel Di Maria out of the squad for Saturday's match at Bastia. END#
PARIS -- Paris Saint-Germain winger Angel Di Maria has been left out of the squad for Saturday's Ligue 1 match at Bastia.
The three-time defending champions did not give any reason for Di Maria's absence, which comes on top of a growing injury list including Marco Verratti, David Luiz, Kevin Trapp and Presnel Kimpembe.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc will also be without the suspended Blaise Matuidi.
"Our preparations have been complicated by the fact that our match against Real Madrid is next Wednesday. We have a lot of respect for Bastia -- they posed us a lot of problems last season," Blanc said during a news conference. "We've prepared as best we could given the late return of our internationals. We have to make do with these circumstances and we can't talk about an optimal preparation.
"Nonetheless we're headed to Bastia with a lot of motivation to get the win. Still I think that we won't have our whole squad together until later today -- 24 hours before the match.
"We're seeing what we can do to make sure the [international] players recover better," Blanc said. "Their journeys have been long, fatigue is setting in, but there is still a match to play and to win tomorrow, not to mention the match against Real Madrid.
"What's more, we lost there last season, and the players have their hearts set on settling the score. We'll make a decision tomorrow as to the best starting XI given the shape each player is in.
"I don't want to limit myself to talking only about defeats," Blanc said. "There were many things to say about the match last season, especially the second half, but the players remember this. But we can't base our approach on this alone.
"As I tell the players, we're the team to beat and our opponents will be very motivated when they take us on. Their stadia will be full when we come. You need to prepare for that, for having teams lying in wait to beat you."
After nine league matches, PSG remain unbeaten and has a five-point lead over second-place Angers. PSG host Real Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League group stage.