Coach Christophe Galtier said on Thursday that Lionel Messi will be rested for Paris St. Germain’s French Cup match against Chateauroux, a third-division team because the Argentine forward needs more time to recover from winning the world cup.
Lionel Messi will be rested for Paris St. Germain’s French Cup
Messi, who won the World Cup on December 18 at the Lusail stadium in Qatar, participated in training over the last few days, but Galtier said he needed a little bit more time to be ready to play in a competitive setting.
“He will not play tomorrow. Having discussed with him, we want him to be ready for the following game (against Angers in Ligue 1).”
“We knew there would be absences after the World Cup. As for Neymar’s absence in training, it had been scheduled after all players were assessed upon their return from the World Cup,” said Galtier.
“He’s had a fantastic World Cup. He had commitments, going back to his country for the celebrations and we wanted him to recover back home with his family,” Galtier said ahead of Friday’s trip to Chateauroux in the round of 64.
“There was a disappointment, frustration, and sometimes anger, but we want to bounce back with an important game as the Cup is one of the important goals of the club,” Galtier, who won the Cup twice as an assistant coach with Sochaux and Olympique Lyonnais, said.
“Getting straight back into it is the best to eliminate that frustration.”
