Lionel Messi will miss another Paris Saint-Germain match after admitting that his recovery at COVID-19 was slower than expected.
The Argentine striker will not be available for Saturday’s match against Brest at Parc des Princes, PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Friday.
Leo Messi, 34, missed PSG in a 1-1 draw at Lyon last Sunday when the French league returned from its winter break. Messi contracted the virus while at home in Argentina. He later found out that he did not have it and returned to Paris.
Messi said on social media on Thursday that it “took me longer than I expected to get better” but “he almost recovered” and was determined to return to the field.
“I was training these days to get back to 100%,” he wrote on Instagram. “There are some exciting challenges ahead this year and I hope we can see each other again soon.”
Pochettino said Messi was still being monitored by team doctors. The club said on Friday that Messi “will rejoin the club next week.”
After this weekend, league leader PSG will host Reims in January. 23 before the international break.
Neymar is still out with an ankle injury he suffered in late November and has not been included in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup qualifier on Thursday.
Argentina and Brazil have already qualified for the World Cup.
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