September 18, (THEWILL) – Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is set to miss the Ligue 1 matchday seven fixture between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Metz at the Stade Saint Symphorien on Wednesday after it was revealed in the scans done on Tuesday that he sustained damage to his left knee with bruising of the bone in a knock he suffered in their Sunday 2-1 win at home to Olympique Lyonnais.
As THEWILL reported, Messi was substituted during the Lyon clash and appeared to be displeased with head coach Mauricio Pochettino as he made his way off the Parc des Princes pitch before compatriot Mauro Icardi, a substitute in the match, eventually scored a late winner for the hosts to retain their perfect start to the season.
The former Barcelona legend has now been ruled out for the midweek trip to struggling Metz. There is lingering doubt that he may also not be back for this weekend’s home clash with Montpellier HSC and also for the UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester City to come next week at the Parc de Princes.
A PSG official news bulletin revealed the scans saying: “Lionel Messi, who took a knock to his left knee against Lyon, underwent an MRI on Tuesday morning which confirmed signs of bruising of the bone. A follow-up examination will be carried out in 48 hours.”
The absence of the 34-year-old will further stretch the time it will take to develop the chemistry between star trio Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe which manager Mauricio Pochettino was hoping well help fire his attacking lineup for the season with the assurance of plenteous goals, but which is yet to come to fruition.
Ahead of these upcoming matches, Pochettino is likely to link Neymar and Mbappe with Angel Di Maria at Stade Saint Symphorien on Wednesday although Icardi will also be in contention after his heroics in the Lyon victory.
In the PSG’s medical update, it was also stated that Marco Verratti has returned to running in a potential boost pre-City while Sergio Ramos continues to work alone on the training pitch as he is yet to feature competitively for his new club in Paris.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
