It was expected, no doubt hoped for in Paris, it seems to have to be confirmed:
TyC Sports
and several sources in France, including
RMC
, announce that Lionel Messi will not participate in the next meeting of the Argentina team.
For several days, it was reported that Lionel Scaloni would leave full latitude to his captain to decide.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or therefore made the wise choice by skipping the matches against Chile on January 27 and Colombia on February 1.
Two matches counting for the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (November 21-December 18).
Except that the Albiceleste, crowned queen of South America last summer against Brazil, has already confirmed her ticket for the World Cup.
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
League 1 standings
Messi is slowly recovering from Covid-19, which he caught during the holidays.
His last appearance in Parisian colors dates back to the trip to Lorient on December 22 (1-1), during the 19th day of Ligue 1. He was then spared in the Coupe de France against Feignies-Aulnoye (victory 3-0) , before heading to his native Argentina for the holidays.
He did not return with Antonela and their children until January 6, after a negative test for Covid.
Since then, the 34-year-old superstar has trained on the sidelines of the group, missing the matches against Vannes in the Cup (4-0 victory), then Lyon (1-1) and Brest (2-0) in the French championship.
Operational against Reims?
"
It took me longer than I thought but I almost recovered and I can't wait to get back on the pitch
," Lionel Messi said last week.
Will it be operational next Sunday, against Reims, during the 22nd day of L1?
May be.
The person concerned would have to return to collective training in the coming days for this.
“
Lionel Messi, whose development is good, is continuing his work with the medical and performance staff and will gradually reintegrate the group next week
,” explained the capital club before the relatively reassuring victory over Brest.
A match in which Kylian Mbappé had done the job.
To read alsoPSG: coup de brilliance and coup de sang, Mbappé with all the sauces against Brest
But as Bondy's crack explained a few weeks ago, PSG will "
need him when the matches count
". Starting with the double-confrontation against Real Madrid, February 15 and March 9, in the 8th of the Champions League. Still in the run-in in Paris, Messi will therefore have the opportunity to perfect his condition and his automatisms by avoiding a round trip to South America. Especially since this international slot overlaps the Parisian calendar: Mbappé and company will indeed face Nice on January 31, at the Parc, in the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France.
If we are still waiting to officially know the composition of the Argentine group, this news is therefore very positive for Paris Saint-Germain.
To see if Lionel Scaloni will summon Angel Di Maria, Leo Paredes or Mauro Icardi.
Indispensable Mr. Clean of the Red and Blue, Marquinhos, he was selected with Brazil, unlike Neymar, still injured but who could be operational at the end of January.
For the rest, Paris-SG will quickly recover Keylor Navas, positive for Covid and forfeited against Brest.
For Gini Wijnaldum, hit in the ankle, it will be necessary to wait until the beginning of February.
The Dutch international has three weeks away from the pitch.
The rest of the troops resumed training this Tuesday (3 p.m.) at Camp des Loges, after two days of rest.
