Lionel Messi gets a new downer. The 34-year-old Paris Saint-Germain attacker is believed to have suffered a bone bruise after a tap on his knee, an MRI scan revealed on Tuesday. More research over the next 48 hours should reveal how long Messi will be out of circulation. In any case, he will miss the away match against FC Metz on Wednesday.
Messi’s adventure in Paris has not yet turned out to be a great success. The Argentine star is still waiting for his first goal in the service of his new employer. Messi hit the crossbar against Olympique Lyon (2-1 win) from a free kick and was replaced by Mauricio Pochettino fifteen minutes before the end to his own dissatisfaction. Messi refused the outstretched hand of his compatriot and looked at him with a doubtful look.
Although Messi was visibly frustrated with his substitution, he was already injured at the time. “We saw during the game that he grabbed his knee,” Pochettino said at the press conference on Tuesday. “That’s why we made this choice. We were happy with his performance. He didn’t score, but he played well. I understand the fuss and accept it, but the players and their health are my number one priority. We thought it was the best decision to take him out. Of course, great players always want to be on the pitch.”
Pochettino also said on Tuesday that it takes time to hone in on automatisms in his squad, which consists of many new players. “We played against Lyon 4-2-3-1 and we were better at getting the ball around,” said the Argentinian. PSG will have to do without Sergio Ramos for the time being, who is working individually on his recovery and is still waiting for his debut. Marco Verratti, who had to miss the last three games due to a knee injury, has resumed group training on Tuesday.
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