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Lionel Messi will not feature when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) take on Strasbourg in Ligue 1 at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, December 28. The defending champions return to league action following a break due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Argentina and Messi lifted the World Cup by beating France 4-2 in penalty shootouts in the final. The Argentine skipper had an outstanding World Cup, leading the team from the front, scoring seven goals and providing three assists.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently in Argentina to celebrate his triumph in Qatar and will therefore arrive in France later than some of his other PSG teammates. This was confirmed by manager Christophe Galtier in his pre-match press conference.
Galtier stated that Lionel Messi will return to his club duties at the turn of the new year. The French tactician was quoted as saying the following (via the Daily Mail):
"Leo (Messi) had a great World Cup. Due to his victory and the celebrations over in Argentina, we decided that he was going to stay until January 1. He will join us on the 2nd or 3rd to resume competition with us."
Based on the return dates given by Christophe Galtier, it is safe to assume that Messi will miss two Ligue 1 games for PSG in the coming weeks. The Argentine skipper will miss the game against Strasbourg on Wednesday and will also not feature when the Parisian giants travel to face Lens on New Year's Day.
Kylian Mbappe, another player who played in the World Cup final, has returned to the club and is part of the matchday squad for the game against Strasbourg. Fellow strike partner Neymar is also available for selection for PSG's first game since the World Cup.
Galtier has many attacking options to choose from to replace Lionel Messi in the starting XI. The likes of Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler, and Hugo Ekitike are all capable of slotting in place of the former FC Barcelona forward.
Lionel Messi has enjoyed a great season with PSG
Lionel Messi was in some excellent form for his club side prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Messi has so far contributed 12 goals and 14 assists for PSG in 19 games across all competitions. This included seven goals and 10 assists from just 13 Ligue 1 games this season.
Lionel Messi currently has less than a year remaining on his Paris Saint-Germain contract. He will be in a position to sign a pre-contract with any club in January. According to BBC Sport, however, the two parties have reached an agreement over a new deal.
