Paris Saint-Germain pursue their second consecutive UEFA Super Cup title in the 2026 edition when they face Aston Villa on Wednesday, August 12, at Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria. However, the French champions navigate several key absences, with midfielder Fabian Ruiz left out of the starting lineup for the clash against the Villans.
Ruiz begins the match on the substitute bench against Aston Villa due to a tactical decision by head coach Luis Enrique. The Spanish international recently reported back to training following an extended post-World Cup vacation, leaving him with limited conditioning ahead of the seasonal opener.
The midfielder served as an indispensable contributor for Luis Enrique across the last two campaigns, helping PSG capture back-to-back Champions League titles. Despite suffering a knee injury that sidelined him for 16 matches between January and April during the 2025-26 season, Ruiz recovered in time for the stretch run, logging 34 appearances, two goals, and five assists across all competitions.
Ruiz started four matches during the 2026 World Cup under Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, earning a starting role over Pedri in the final. While Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez also featured in that final for Argentina on July 19, Ruiz returned to team activities on a delayed schedule, prompting Luis Enrique to ease him back into competition from the bench.
Fabian Ruiz #8 of Spain celebrates with the FIFA World Cup. (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
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