LEIPZIG (Germany): Argentina Superstar Lionel Messi will miss the Champions League clash Wednesday with Leipzig RB due to injury, Paris Saint Germain announced on Tuesday.
Ballon d’Or Winner six times 34 years old has a painful hamstring problem and painful knee.
Messi has gone half a 2-1 Ligue 1 PSG victory over Lille last Friday but coach Mauricio Pochettino said he hoped he was suitable for the Leipzig match.
However, he skipped training on Monday and on Tuesday the club confirmed that he would not be fit.
PSG’s statement said the Champions League winner four times suffered from “pain in hamstring in his left thigh and painful knees due to bruises.” Messi might also hesitate to clash Ligue 1 Saturday between PSG Table-Toppers and Bordeaux struggles.
He will then join his national squad for two World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil.
The Wednesday game will be the third match that Messi has passed this season due to injury, after sitting two Ligue 1 matches at the end of September.
Messi has made a low start to his spell in the French Giants since arriving from Barcelona in August.
However, he produced one of his better appearances in a 3-2 victory over Leipzig two weeks ago in Paris, scoring the winner of the penalty.
He said when he ended almost two decades in Barcelona the main reason to join PSG was to win the fifth Champions League trophy.
PSG will also lose the influential midfielder Marco Verratti – who has a hip injury – but welcomed the winner of the French World Cup Kyian Mbappe into the squad after losing the game with Lille.
PSG Top their Champions League group after three matches with seven points.
The beaten finalist last season Manchester City was the point behind while Leipzig had not come out of the sign after three defeats.