Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier has confirmed that Lionel Messi is set to return to the French capital in early January after his extended break.
The Argentina forward was granted a longer break by the French giants having led his nation to the World Cup in Qatar. He played every single minute at the tournament, scoring six goals and was a key reason behind the South American side claiming their third crown.
After celebrations back in Argentina, attention very quickly turned back to domestic action with PSG attempting to wrap-up yet another title over the next few months. They currently sit five points clear ahead of nearest challengers Lens ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Strasbourg.
Whilst supporters will be keen on seeing Messi back in action sooner rather than later, Galtier has already confirmed that he will not be called upon but did reveal that it will not be a long wait for Messi to return. Speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of the showdown with Strasbourg, he said: “Leo [Messi] also had a very big World Cup,”
“Due to his victory and 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."
Messi’s stunning form in Qatar was a continuation of his excellent goalscoring displays ahead of the enforced break for the World Cup. Having scored just 11 goals in his debut campaign for PSG following his arrival from Barcelona, he already has 12 to his name this term.
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He will certainly be aiming to play even more of a role for the French side. The 35-year-old’s first appearance after the World Cup could come in a Coupe de France showdown with Chateauroux on January 6 before their next league game with Angers five days later.
A decision is set to be taken over Messi’s future with PSG before the season’s end. He penned an initial two-year deal with the club following his arrival from Barcelona - a contract that expires at the end of this season.
PSG retain an option to extend that by a further year but it has been suggested that he has already agreed to a new contract at the Parc des Princes. Meanwhile, club president Nasser Al-Khelaif confirmed that talks were set to be held with the veteran forward after the World Cup.
As quoted by Sport, he said: “We want to keep both Leo Messi and Mbappe, of course. They’re the best player and the best goalscorer of the World Cup.
“I won’t say more about Messi as we have a plan to discuss after the World Cup.”
“I don’t want to say anything about Leo, we have an agreement to talk after the World Cup,” he added.
