PSG welcome back key stars for UEFA Super Cup clash with Aston Villa

Tuesday 11 August 2026 - 10:43

By: Sahili Aya

PSG welcome back key stars for UEFA Super Cup clash with Aston Villa

Paris Saint-Germain will head into the new competitive season with a full-strength squad when they face Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg on Wednesday.

The French champions have travelled to Austria with a 24-man group that includes several of their most important players, giving Luis Enrique the opportunity to field a strong side for the first official match of the 2026-27 campaign. UEFA confirms that the meeting will take place on August 12 at Salzburg's Stadion.

Returning internationals strengthen PSG squad

Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lucas Hernandez, Achraf Hakimi and Fabián Ruiz are all back in contention after returning to training only on Monday.

Their availability represents a significant boost for Enrique after PSG began their preparations without several players who had been given additional time away following international commitments.

The club has also included its two summer arrivals, Maghnes Akliouche and Lucas Digne, in the travelling squad. Italian goalkeeper Alessandro Longoni, recruited from AC Milan, is another new face in the group.

A first competitive test of the season

The encounter in Salzburg represents PSG's opening official fixture of the 2026-27 season and pits the Champions League holders against Aston Villa, winners of the Europa League.

The match also offers a repeat of a recent European rivalry. PSG and Villa met in the Champions League during the 2024-25 campaign, with the French side advancing after a closely contested tie.

Aston Villa will arrive under the management of Unai Emery, a former PSG coach who guided the English club to European success last season. The matchup therefore carries an additional layer of familiarity for both sides.

PSG seek to retain the Super Cup

PSG are entering the fixture as the reigning UEFA Super Cup holders. The Parisian club won the trophy last year and now have the opportunity to begin another season by adding another European title.

For Enrique, the challenge is to balance the enthusiasm surrounding the returning stars with the limited preparation time available to some of them.

The presence of Dembélé, Doué, Hakimi and the other late returnees nevertheless gives PSG considerable depth ahead of a fixture that will immediately put their ambitions to the test.

New signings add another dimension

Akliouche and Digne will make their first appearances in a PSG matchday squad, while Longoni also joins the senior group for the trip.

Their inclusion provides an early indication of how Enrique could integrate the club's summer recruits into a squad already packed with established international players.

With the European season beginning in Salzburg, PSG have little time for a gradual transition. The reigning Champions League winners will be expected to compete for another trophy immediately — and they will do so with virtually their entire squad available.