Lionel Messi will have to bide his time before taking the field for the first time for new club Paris Saint-Germain. He sat out Saturday’s 4-2 Ligue 1 home win against Strasbourg.
Messi’s signing was officially announced on Tuesday and, following his presentation the following day, he only participated in his first training session on Thursday. Given his last competitive game came back on July 10, he’s got some work to do in order to reach full fitness. His coach indicated as much on Friday:
“It’s his second day of training after a month since he played the last game, the final of the Copa America,” Mauricio Pochettino said in his pregame news conference. “So we’re going to go step by step, getting to know each other. The priority is that he’s good, that he’s feeling good and when he’s in the best condition he can debut.
“He’s coming off a month since the last time he competed,” he added. “We have to listen to him, but also based on our experience. And of course our decision will come from the feeling we have based on the next training sessions, and then we’ll make a decision.”
If Messi is going to make his PSG bow before the September international break for World Cup qualifiers, it will have to come on the road on Friday, Aug. 20 or Sunday, Aug. 29.
