The conversation surrounding Lionel Messi and his start to life at PSG hit an all-time high after the Argentine was subbed off in Les Parisiens’ comeback victory over Lyon. With the game one-all and the French giants fighting for the winning goal, Mauricio Pochettino surprised everyone by subbing off the 34-year-old for Achraf Hakimi.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner appeared unhappy with this move, and understandably so. While the Ligue 1 heavyweights were able to pull off a remarkable 2-1 triumph over Les Gones courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Mauro Icardi, that incident involving the six-time Ballon d’Or winner and the former Spurs boss dominated the headlines as the attacker appeared to snub a handshake from his boss while walking off.
Speaking after the game, Pochettino explained that his decision to take off La Pulga was due to a fear of losing the Argentine to an injury ahead of a crucial week of fixtures. Initially, these comments were interpreted as a mere diplomatic response to hide a perceived frustration in Leo’s performance.
However, it appears the 49-year-old tactician was right all along. In a statement released earlier on Tuesday, PSG diagnosed Messi with a knee injury, one that will keep him out of Wednesday’s clash with Metz.
“Lionel Messi, following a blow received to his left knee, had an MRI this morning which confirms the signs of bone contusion,” the statement read. The Copa America winner is set to undergo further tests to determine his fitness ahead of a busy period, with Les Parisiens set to face Montpellier this weekend and Man City in the UEFA Champions League next Tuesday.
“The club already released a statement about what he had and I think it’s quite clear,” Pochettino said in the aftermath of this revelation.
“We saw he was checking his knee on the sidelines with gestures and you could also notice he had an issue when he took a shot.
“He’d had a good first half and we were happy with his performance, but we decided to take him off based on the information we have.
“I understand the media reaction, but our priority is always to look out for the player.
“The best players always want to be on the pitch, so I’m not surprised Messi wanted to continue.”
A lot remains uncertain about Leo’s fitness but he will be made to wait for his first goal at the Parc des Princes. The Argentine now has two games alongside Neymar and Mbappe under his belt and will be looking to establish chemistry with the pair sooner rather than later.
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