"Messi and Mbappe need to step up" - PSG fans all say the same thing as Neymar misses Montpellier clash due to injury

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans have urged Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe to step up against Montpellier Herault after Neymar Jr.'s exclusion from the matchday squad due to an injury.

The Brazil international has been rested for the clash at the Stade de la Mosson on Wednesday (February 1). PSG are on the back of a poor run in Ligue 1 which has seen them win just one out of their last four league games.

Lionel Messi has himself managed a tally of just one goal and no assists in his past four league matches this season. It is hardly a coincidence that PSG aren't playing at their best when the Argentina icon isn't at his best.

Kylian Mbappe, on the other hand, is on a three-game goalless run in Ligue 1. Hence, it isn't a surprise that PSG fans are demanding more from the star duo against La Paillade, especially in Neymar's absence.

The star-studded trio have been questioned for their ability to defend from the front. But in Neymar's absence, manager Christophe Galtier has started Carlos Soler in the No. 10 role, who could help out more off the ball.

Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter from Les Parisiens fans after the matchday squad was released.

PSG have not lost against Montpellier in the last nine encounters between the two sides.

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PSG's Lionel Messi drops retirement hint after 2022 FIFA World Cup glory

PSG's Lionel Messi has dropped a major hint that he could be on the verge of retiring from football.

Speaking in his first interview since winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the 172-cap Argentina international told UrbanaPlay (h/t India Today):

"It has finally come at the end of my career. A closing cycle to be honest. Finally, I have achieved everything with the national team. The World Cup was something I always dreamt of.

"I have achieved everything in my career now. It was about uniquely closing my career. I had never imagined that this will happen to me."

This could be an indication that the 35-year-old is ready to retire from the national team. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has won everything there is to win at the club level and with Argentina on the international stage.

Lionel Messi's contract at PSG will expire at the end of the season if he doesn't pen fresh terms before then. An emotional return to Barcelona could never be fully ruled out while he has also been linked with a move to MLS club Inter Miami.