Lionel Messi is expected to make his much anticipated Paris-Saint Germain debut on August 29 in the Ligue 1 clash away to Reims.
After Messi’s remarkable free transfer from Barcelona last week, he has only been able to train three times with the team so he still needs time to reach the levels of fitness that Mauricio Pochettino demands.
Alongside his transfer saga, Messi’s pre-season was already heavily delayed as he reached the final and won the Copa America with Argentina.
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Therefore, this Friday’s Ligue 1 match away at Brest may be too soon for him to start a match yet there is a chance that he will travel with the squad and potentially feature from the bench.
The Argentinian superstar was unable to make the squad for last weekend’s fixture against Strasbourg and was therefore sat in the stands with his fellow teammates Neymar and Angel Di Maria.
Before the game, Messi spoke to a packed Parc des Princes as the new signings were presented to the fans: “It has been a very special week for me. I want to thank everyone for the reception since I arrived in Paris. It has been truly incredible.”
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Pochettino now has an even greater wealth of talent at his disposal after one of the most sensational transfer windows in football history.
The PSG manager was asked about how he is managing Messi’s fitness and when the world will get to see him play for PSG for the first time: “As for when we might see Leo; it is his second day of training after a month since he played the last game at the Copa America.
“We will take it step-by-step, get to know each other and have him feel fit and comfortable so that he is able to make his debut when he is fully fit.”
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