Goalkeeper Matvei Safonov, the star of Paris Saint-Germain’s Intercontinental Cup victory, has a fracture in his left hand, the club said on Friday.
The Russian saved four penalties in a shootout in Qatar on Wednesday as PSG defeated Brazilians Flamengo to lift another trophy.
“Matvei Safonov suffered a fracture to his left hand after the match against Flamengo,” the club said in a statement. “There will be a further update in three to four weeks.”
The announcement came on the eve of the trip to fifth-tier Vendee Fontenay in the French Cup. Either nominal number one Lucas Chevalier or third choice Renato Marin will be in goal.
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The injury puts an end to a possible debate for the time being about who should start in goal for the European champions.
Safonov, 26, started the season as number two, but match-winning performances in Qatar followed a number of impressive displays in place of Chevalier, who injured his ankle at the end of November after a shaky start to the season.
Chevalier, who turned 24 in November, was signed in the summer because coach Luis Enrique liked his footwork with the ball but he sometimes looked less reliable in stopping shots.
Published on December 19, 2025
