Messi to return on January 2 or 3 after World Cup win confirms Galtier
Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier has confirmed Lionel Messi will return to the club on January 2 or 3 after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.
Messi lifted the World Cup after Argentina beat France 4-2 on on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw.
The 35-year-old scored twice in the World Cup final and again in the penalty shoot-out to help the nation triumph.
Messi has enjoyed downtime in Argentina over the Christmas period, following the World Cup and resulting celebrations in the nation.
Galtier confirmed at a pre-match press conference ahead of PSG’s Ligue 1 return against Strasbourg that Messi will stay in Argentina until January 1.
‘Leo had a great World Cup,’ Galtier said, as per RMC Sport.
‘Due to his victory and the celebrations over in Argentina, we decided that he was going to stay until January 1.
‘He will join us on the 2nd or 3rd to resume competition with us.’
Messi, who was named the best player at the World Cup, is expected to extend his PSG stay after reportedly agreeing a renewal of his contract until 2024.
PSG are reportedly wary of granting a request for Messi to parade the World Cup around the club’s stadium due to a possible backlash.
Galtier also confirmed the availability of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Marquinhos for their Ligue 1 match tomorrow.
The PSG boss said the return of the club’s World Cup stars will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
‘They are available for the match, regarding Neymar, Marquinhos, Vitinha and the Spaniards, they had 10-12 days off,’ Galtier said.
‘We manage on a case-by-case basis, there are those who were eliminated earlier than expected. They are training normally.’
‘[Achraf] Hakimi played all the World Cup matches and wanted to join us as soon as possible. Just like Kylian who played all the matches with great performances.
‘After talking with him and all my team, he wanted us to join quickly. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be a time when they will have to recover.’
PSG will hope to maintain their unbeaten record in Ligue 1 when they face Strasbourg at the Parc des Princes.
The reigning champions are currently five points clear of second placed Lens, who they meet on January 1 in a top of the table clash.
