Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain will be without Messi for Sunday’s Ligue 1 outing to Lyon.
Lionel Messi tested positive for COVID19 while back home in Argentina and subsequently missed PSG’s 4-0 win over Vannes in the Coupe de France on Monday.
Lionel Messi returned a negative test on Wednesday and he was set to be available to face Lyon.
Yet, Paris saint-Germain leaders confirmed on Saturday that the Argentina Star will “continue his post-COVID individual recovery protocol for the next few days.”
Paris Saint -Germain also disclosed that Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Danilo Pereira, Layvin Kurzawa and Gianluigi Donnarumma remain in isolation after recently returning positive tests.
Mauricio Pochettino acknowledges that Paris Santt-Germain must adapt in the absence of players, but the coach insisted that every team is in the same boat.
During his pre-match press conference, he said: “All teams have absent players; so do we. We have to adapt to everyday life. Sometimes, we have to change our plans.
“It’s the same every game, we always have to make choices. We have to put the players in the best conditions.”
On the prospect of facing Peter Bosz’s Lyon side, he added: “They are one of the best teams in France.
“There is a very great coach. In the end, they will be fighting for the first places.
It will be difficult, but we are optimistic.”