The new year started badly for Lionel Messi.

Landed last summer in Paris, Lionel Messi has been playing intermittently in the show since his arrival at PSG …
The year started badly for Lionel Messi . At least for PSG . While he seems to have particularly benefited from the end of the year celebrations, the seven-fold Ballon d’Or has indeed tested positive for Covid-19 when returning to France. Enough to make him miss the meeting against Vannes on Monday. A match that he would undoubtedly at best have followed from the bench like all the other South American players, who only returned on Sunday.
But the former Barcelona, ​​placed in isolation in Argentina, could also miss the shock of the 20th day, Sunday, against Olympique Lyonnais. ” No, no. So far I have not had any news, confided Mauricio Pochettino after the match against the Morbihannais. I don’t know if he will be able to play against Lyon for now. ”
If his absence from Groupama Stadium is verified, it would already be the ninth Ligue 1 game missed by Lionel Messi since the start of the season. Short of preparation at the time of his arrival, the Argentinean logically had to give up on the first three days. But since his baptism in Troyes at the end of August, the former Barcelona player has missed five of the 16 league matches played by the vice-champions of France. Whether it was due to a too late return from Argentina after the playoffs, a bone contusion to his knee or hamstring discomfort, which also caused him to miss a Champions League game against Leipzig.

Messi had never known that at Barça
Preserved during the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France, shortly before the holidays, absent for the resumption in Vannes, Lionel Messi should also miss the meeting of the 8th finals at the end of the month. Consequence of World Cup qualifying matches scheduled in South America. At the end of the month, the Argentinian could therefore have missed 13 of the 31 matches played by PSG since the start of the season. A situation all the more annoying for the club in the capital as it was clearly not familiar with the fact with Barça.

Spared by injuries, he has never missed more than seven La Liga matches per season since 2008. Last season, he had still played 35 matches for 30 goals and 9 assists. Halfway through, his record in Paris is still a meager goal and three assists in 11 Ligue 1 matches. But that’s another problem …