Will Messi play PSG vs Angers Ligue 1 match?

Messi missed PSG’s home league win against Strasbourg and the trip to Lens where Paris suffered a 1-3 loss.

Argentina's Lionel Messi resumes his training with the Paris Saint-Germain team Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023 at the team's training camp in Saint Germain-en-Laye, west of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) | Photo Credit: AP

League leader PSG will take on last placed Angers in a Ligue 1 fixture, happening at the Parc des Princes on Thursday (IST).

Lionel Messi, who recently led Argentina to World Cup glory, is expected to play his first game for Paris Saint-Germain after a brief break.

Messi has been training normally with his teamates and coach Christophe Galtier expressed hopes the forward will be ready for the upcoming league match.

PSG on Wednesday released the 20-man squad that will face Angers. Messi was named alongside the likes of Neymar and Sergio Ramos while Kylian Mbappe will be missing as he went on holiday.

Galtier played down suggestions of a rift between Messi and team mate Mbappe after the World Cup.

“There is no reason to mix everything up in the relationship between Kylian and Leo,” Galtier said. “Kylian has a very good attitude having lost the World Cup.

“When you lose a World Cup final, you have a reason to be very, very disappointed. He was very disappointed, but he knew how to go on and behave, and had a lot of class to congratulate Leo and that’s very good for the club and for the team.”

The Argentine forward, seven-times Ballon D’Or winner, scored two goals to lead his country to victory over France on penalties in the World Cup final last month.

The 35-year-old Messi missed PSG’s home league 3-1 win against Strasbourg and the trip to Lens where Paris suffered a 1-3 loss.

PSG is on top of Ligue 1 table with 44 points in 17 games while Anger is languishing at the bottom with just eight points.

With inputs from Reuters