Paris Saint-Germain are struggling with a number of issues coming into Friday's Ligue 1 clash with AS Saint-Etienne at Parc des Princes.
The French champions are missing captain Thiago Silva, right back Serge Aurier and left back Maxwell through injury, while David Luiz's last minute Transfer Deadline Day return to Chelsea means that even at full strength, Unai Emery only has three natural central defenders to choose from.
Further up the pitch, Javier Pastore is also still missing as he continues to be plagued by a calf problem that first surfaced last season.
As if that was not enough, Edinson Cavani, Angel Di Maria and Marquinhos are all doubts after featuring in South American 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers during the recent international break.
The defence against Saint-Etienne is not the only worry for Emery though, with a surprise 3-1 defeat away at AS Monaco to bounce back from and the first UEFA Champions League Group A fixture against Arsenal to come next week.
Although pressure can be more intense later in the season, it is fair to say that the Spaniard is already feeling some.
Emery and his players are paying for a disrupted preseason because of international tournaments and a number of poorly-timed injuries coming in for scrutiny -- most of it completely unjustified -- just weeks into the campaign.
The defence is a significant concern for the Basque tactician. Even at full strength, PSG are light in central defence and lack a bit of experience now that Luiz has moved on.
A back four made up of Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, Thomas Meunier and Layvin Kurzawa, which is now a likelihood on Friday, is not bad against the likes of Saint-Etienne.
However, ideally, Marquinhos and Kurzawa would have been rested ahead of Arsenal and now they have little choice but to play.
Should one of the back four pick up an injury against Les Verts, Emery's defensive headache will quickly become a full-blown crisis with Aurier almost certain to miss Arsenal as well and Silva's and Maxwell's status ahead of that encounter unclear.
Put simply, PSG need to win following the Monaco loss to stop sniping from the domestic press ahead of the Arsenal match, to do it without suffering further injuries and to expend as little energy as possible so that the squad is in top condition for the Gunners.
It is a complicated mission brief and one that poses plenty of risks for Les Parisiens. Summer signing Meunier is looking forward to his first full start in Ligue 1, though, as he attempts to make the most of Aurier's absence at right-back.
"Honestly, it gave me great pleasure to be back on the pitch," the Belgium international said at a pre-Saint-Etienne news conference on Friday when questioned about his recent World Cup qualification exploits with his country. "Being an international is a good way to find yourself again if things are not going too well at club level. It was awesome.
"There are more chances I play [against Saint-Etienne] than next week in the Champions League. I have received no guarantees and it has not been discussed yet.
"I am a player and I have the desire to play, whether it is tomorrow, against Arsenal or in three months. Competition is higher here, so patience is needed."
Although he is remaining realistic about his chances of featuring against Arsenal, it is most likely that he will be in Emery's starting XI -- as long as he does not pick up an injury over the next few days.
Elsewhere, attack is also a problem for the former Sevilla man, with Cavani and Di Maria in need of rest ahead of Arsenal. Depending on the formation picked, Hatem Ben Arfa could come in from the cold with a chance to kick-start his career in the capital behind Jean-Kevin Augustin, with Lucas Moura and Jonathan Ikone out wide.
Otherwise, Emery could go for PSG's more familiar 4-3-3 shape and hope that the likes of Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi and Thiago Motta can dominate the midfield.
Although Saint-Etienne will not make or break the French giants' season this early on, a win over Saint-Etienne would enable them to prepare more smoothly for Arsenal's visit than a loss or a draw.
These next few days will be Emery's first real test as PSG coach.
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