Defender Christophe Jallet, midfielders Ludovic Giuly and Claude Makelele and striker Guillaume Hoarau all stayed behind at the club's Camp des Loges training centre instead of making the trip to Portugal. PSG are still in the Ligue 1 title race and the Coupe de France and it appears Kombouare is targeting those two competitions ahead of European progression. The capital club are five points off the pace in the league, but with a game at home to Montpellier on Sunday and further clashes with title rivals Marseille, Lyon and Lille still to come before the end of the season there are plenty of opportunities to make up the ground. Kombouare's decision to ring the changes will give some fringe players a chance to impress and veteran defender Sammy Traore will be out for revenge against Benfica. PSG were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by the Portuguese outfit at the same stage four years ago, losing the away leg 3-1 to go out 4-3 on aggregate. They have yet to be beaten in this season's competition, though, topping their group before edging out Belorussians BATE Borisov on away goals in the last round, and veteran Traore is looking forward to returning to Lisbon's Estadio da Luz. "We do not have very good memories (of the last visit) because we were eliminated," the Malian told the club's official website. "But it's a beautiful stadium with a great atmosphere." Midfielder Clement Chantome added: "It is one of the most beautiful stadium in Europe." Benfica will go into the tie as favourites having swept aside Stuttgart 4-1 on aggregate in the last round, but head into the game on the back of a 2-1 Liga defeat to Braga. They could be without Argentinian playmaker Pablo Aimar who is struggling with a problem with his right thigh.
