Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Christophe Galtier has revealed Lionel Messi will rejoin the team in the new year. The Argentine is currently in his home country following the FIFA World Cup win and is expected to return after the Ligue1 side face Lens at the start of 2023.
Messi was in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup for the last few weeks, where he won the tournament by beating club teammate Kylian Mbappe’s France in the final. While the Frenchman has returned to training, the former Barcelona star is celebrating the win in his home country.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of PSG‘s clash with Strasbourg on Wednesday, Galtier confirmed that Messi has another 10-11 days before he rejoins the side.
He said:
“We did it on a case-by-case basis, there are the players eliminated very early who had ten or twelve days and who all returned on time. Those who went further like Hakimi who made a very big run I’m thinking of Kylian (Mbappé) and Leo (Messi). Hakimi and Kylian wanted to come back quickly with us in the group.”
Continuing to talk about the Argentine, he admitted that the forward was given time off until January 1st, 2023. He said:
“Leo (Lionel Messi) due to his geographical location and his victory, he will join us at the start year after ten, eleven days. We will reintegrate it as we go. The idea was that everyone stays in touch during the World Cup. Due to his victory, the celebrations in Argentina, we decided that he was going to cut until January 1. He will join us on the 2nd or 3rd to resume competition with us.”
Lionel Messi’s teammate Kylian Mbappe returns to PSG training
Lionel Messi’s club teammate Kylian Mbappe was keen to put the FIFA World Cup heartbreak behind him and rejoined PSG training less than 72 hours after the final, in which he scored a hat-trick before seeing his side lose 4-2 in the penalty shootout.
Speaking about Mbappe, Christophe Galtier said:
“I’m very happy to see him. Kylian had a great World Cup. This return is also a strong signal to everyone. He wanted to get back in contact with the group very quickly and prepare for the deadlines which are coming up very quickly. We are very, very happy to see him.”
Lionel Messi has scored seven goals in the Ligue1 this season – one more than he managed last season, while Mbappe is the top scorer for PSG with 12.