Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Lionel Messi will miss Tuesday night’s crunch Champions League clash with Benfica due to injury.
Last week, the 35-year old picked up a calf knock during the reverse fixture in Portugal Where he scoredIn the 1-1 draw
He was unable to keep the match going and was removed in the 81st minutes.
He then missed the opportunity. Les Parisiens‘ 0-0 draw against Reims on Saturday as the French club dropped points in Ligue 1 for just the second time this season.
And he hasn’t been deemed as fit enough to compete against Benfica as PSG look to go three points clear of their upcoming opponents in Group H.
PSG is currently top of their group in goal difference, ahead of Benfica. Both teams are seven points ahead Juventus and Maccabi Haifa.
A club statement read: “Nursing a calf niggle, Lionel Messi will not make the game against Benfica.”
Presnel Kimpenbe and Renato Sanches, ex-Barcelona forwards, were also ruled out. Nuno Mendes was also ruled out.
Christophe Galtier, PSG boss, stated that he was hopeful Messi would be in the derby against Marseille in this week’s press conference.
He said: “Leo Messi felt discomfort in the calf during the match at Benfica.
“It is very likely that he will play against Marseille on Sunday.”
Messi is currently playing his best football since he joined Parc des Princes in 2021 as a free transfer.
From 34 matches, he scored 11 goals as well as 15 assists in his debut season with the French club.
He has nearly matched his previous campaign’s total, having scored on eight of 13 occasions in all competitions.
He has also laid on eight assists for his team-mates – the most of any player in Ligue 1 this term.
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