Lionel Messi was barred from Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 trip to Metz on Wednesday due to a knee injury which also makes him doubtful for a meeting with Pep Guardiola next week.
The Argentine international suffered the problem during PSG’s 2-1 win against Lyon on Sunday, when he scored six out of six wins to start his new season in the league.
Messi made his home debut in that game but was substituted on the scoring level, meaning he hasn’t scored in three appearances since joining from Barcelona last month.
PSG will not have Messi in their squad to face Metz at the Stade Saint-Symphorien, with that game arriving six days before the Champions League trip to Guardiola’s Manchester City.
The French giants confirmed the injury shot in an update posted on their official website on Tuesday.
“Messi, following the blow to his left knee, underwent an MRI which confirms the signs of a bone contusion”, reads the update. “A new test will be carried out in 48 hours”.
PSG also confirmed that Marco Verratti returned to training on Tuesday, while Sergio Ramos – who hasn’t been there since joining Real Madrid – is continuing to train individually.
Pochettino’s decision to bring Achraf Hakimi to Messi with his side chasing a goal against Lyon dominated all talk after last weekend’s game.
Messi has been involved in six shots (four attempts, two created chances) – only Kylian Mbappe against Clermont (seven) has done better in a league match for PSG this season.
Pochettino insisted that “there were no problems” with Messi when he spoke after the game and defended once again his decision to take home the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“I understand the situation and accept it as it is,” Pochettino said in a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the clash with Metz.
“The priority is always the players and their well-being. We thought the best decision was to take it off. But obviously all the champions always want to be on the pitch. “
Asked about Messi’s injury, Pochettino said: “The club has already communicated it. During the game we saw that he was checking his knee after being hit.
“When we saw we made a decision. We were happy with his performance and I am happy with his commitment. He didn’t score, but otherwise he was very good. “
.@NavasKeylor to work hard pic.twitter.com/vRXMyza3MD
– Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_Italiano) September 21, 2021
Mbappe played a quiet game against Lyon before witnessing Mauro Icardi’s lead goal who touched the ball just five times in the opponent’s area and failed to shoot on goal.
The Frenchman led a 4-2-3-1 which also included Messi, Neymar and Angel Di Maria in attack and Pochettino insists it will take some time for the system to work.
“We have to create these connections in training over time, not just in matches,” said Pochettino. “We used a 4-2-3-1 against Lyon and it’s not the same as before.
“That’s why I was happy with the team’s performance. We also organized ourselves in defense and recovered the balls at the top.
“Leo, Neymar and Di Maria know each other well and have already built a bond. Now we have to integrate Kylian into the team and it will take some time. “
Mbappe is expected to start Wednesday against Metz, an opponent against whom he has scored or assisted in all five previous Ligue 1 matches.
PSG also have an excellent record against Metz, having defeated them in 10 consecutive league games in a series that dates back to August 2007.
