The six-time Ballon d’Or winner will not line up for Mauricio Pochettino’s side against Montpellier, but may make European competition
Lionel Messi has been ruled out of Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 clash with Montpellier on Saturday, but the Argentine forward could figure in a Champions League meeting with Manchester City as he is running again.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner picked up a knee injury during an outing against Lyon, forcing him to undergo an MRI scan and sit out training.
He played no part in a dramatic 2-1 win over Metz in midweek, but has seen a long spell on the sidelines ruled out and further assessment of his fitness will be made on Sunday.
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What has been said?
PSG said in a statement on the club’s official website: “Leo Messi started running again today in line with his treatment protocol.
“An update check is scheduled for Sunday.”
How has Messi started at PSG?
The all-time great made a stunning move to France over the summer after reaching the end of his contract at Barcelona and failing to push through fresh terms.
Big things are expected of him in Paris, but a slow start has been made to a new adventure.
Messi has taken in just three outings for PSG so far, with only one of those seeing him complete 90 minutes.
His goal account in France is yet to be opened, with a spark still being sought alongside fellow superstar frontmen Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
He can, however, be expected to burst into life at some stage and there would be no better occasion in which to do that than when facing former Barca boss Pep Guardiola on a continental stage next Tuesday.
Who else is missing for PSG?
Messi will not be the only star turn missing from Pochettino’s plans against Montpellier, with a couple of other senior figures still working their way back to full fitness.
Euro 2020-winning Italy international Marco Verratti is due to return to training next week, with another knee problem keeping him out at present.
World Cup winner Sergio Ramos is another who has struggled with niggling knocks in recent times, and the Spanish defender is still waiting on his PSG debut.
He, along with Ismael Gharbi, will continue working on an individual training programme away from the main group.
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