After a week’s absence due to the sanction imposed by his club, Lionel Messi will resume this afternoon as a starter in the match that Paris Saint-Germain will play from 16:00 at the Parc des Princes against Ajaccio (to be broadcast on ESPN) for the 35th date of the French championship.
The Argentina national team captain returned to training with his team-mates on Monday after the soap opera following his unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia led to a club fine and a public apology from the player.
“I spoke to Leo about his return to the squad and I found him calm, very motivated to play, very determined to win a French championship title. I saw him very involved and he will start tomorrow,” PSG coach Christophe Galtier confirmed at a press conference on Friday before the duel with Ajaccio.
As in past performances, DT refrained from commenting on the sanction imposed on Messi, suspension of work and salary, which was unofficially rescinded after publishing an apology video six days after the imposition. After that, the Rosario man trained on Monday and, according to Galtier, was welcomed “with joy” and worked “all week with great enthusiasm and determination”.
Messi’s first appearance since this skirmish will come as his side are looking to clinch the Ligue 1 title. The capital’s side had started the fixture six points clear of Lens, but their pursuers defeated Reims on Friday 2-1 and narrowed the gap to just three units, so Galtier’s side cannot fail this Saturday.
PSG, who have lost three of their last four games at the Parque de los Príncipes, will appear without their ultras in the stands. Dissatisfied with the team’s performance and the management of the club by the Qatari owners, Collectif Ultras Paris (CUF) members announced a fans’ strike.
“We will no longer be present in the Parque de los Príncipes or as visitors. Recent events and the state of our mutual relationship with management lead us to believe that this is the best and only solution capable of preserving a common future. We await clear answers from the company on various points in order to eventually review our positions”.
If PSG’s situation has been complicated in recent weeks, that of its rival this Saturday is no less so, albeit for different reasons: Ajaccio have scored just 23 points in 34 rounds, are third from bottom and if not a victory arrives in Paris, it will certify relegation to Ligue 2 (this season four teams will lose the category).
Probable alignments
Paris Saint-Germain: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Danilo Pereira, Marquinhos, Sergio Ramos, Juan Bernat; Marco Verratti, Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha, Zaire-Emery; Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe. Trainer: Christophe Galtier.
Ajaccio: Francois Sollacaro; Mohamed Youssouf, Oumar González, Clément Vidal, Youssouf Koné; Thomas Mangani, Mathieu Coutadeur, Vincent Marchetti, Riad Nouri; Romain Hamouma, Kevin Spadanuda. Trainer: Olivier Pants.
Referee: Pierre Gaillouse.
Stadium: Parc des Princes (Paris).
Start time: 16.
Transmission: ESPN.
Source: Clarin
Jason Root is the go-to source for sports coverage at News Rebeat. With a passion for athletics and an in-depth knowledge of the latest sports trends, Jason provides comprehensive and engaging analysis of the world of sports.