PSG Rest Achraf Hakimi Ahead of International Duty

Paris Saint-Germain will face Troyes without one of their most relentless runners. Achraf Hakimi has been deliberately pulled out of the squad, not for injury or discipline, but because the club has finally decided his legs have done enough – for now.

The Ligue 1 leaders host Troyes on Saturday, and the Morocco international will watch from the stands after the coaching staff and hierarchy agreed he needed a breather. It is a rare pause in a season where the right-back has barely stopped.

PSG made the call public in a brief but clear statement, underlining that this is a managed rest, not a setback. “In agreement with the coach and the sporting director, Achraf Hakimi will benefit from a rest period until the start of the international break,” the club confirmed.

The message is simple: protect one of their key weapons before the calendar tightens again.

Hakimi has carried a heavy workload since the start of the campaign, driving up and down the right flank as a constant outlet in and out of possession. With his latest Morocco call-up looming, PSG have chosen to act early rather than risk fatigue creeping into both his club and national-team performances.

The timing is no accident. Hakimi is expected to fly out next week to join the Atlas Lions’ camp, where Morocco will play two matches against Niger. Those games matter to him, and PSG know it. Keeping him sharp for that window also serves their longer-term interests as the season stretches towards its decisive months.

His absence opens the door for a change on the right of PSG’s defence against Troyes. David Boly is poised to step into the role, a significant responsibility given how much of PSG’s attacking width often flows through that channel when Hakimi plays.

For once, the Parisian game plan will have to unfold without its usual right-sided spearhead. The club have gambled that a short rest now will keep Hakimi sprinting at full throttle when the stakes rise again – for PSG and for Morocco.