The Argentine has been named in the Paris Saint-Germain squad that will play against Manchester City in the Champions League group stage game on September 28. The 34-year-old has recovered after missing the last four games nursing a knee injury.
Messi will be up against his former coach Pep Guardiola, who was keen to get a signature last season when the former Barca number 10 wanted to quit. However, the exit did not transpire last season, and the six-time Ballon d’Or winner stayed at the club for another season.
The Argentine, who has scored over 700 goals for club and country, made a sensational move to the Parc de Princes after the financial fall-out at Barcelona forced a move out for one of their greatest of all-time. A few days after confirming his departure, Messi signed a contract with PSG.
Since moving to Paris in August, Messi has made three appearances for Pochettino’s side. He failed to get on the scoresheet yet, but there is a sense of unease surrounding him, suggesting he is yet to settle into the new environment.
PSG currently are nine points off at the top of the table, having won all of their opening eight fixtures. Last season’s title loss to Lille seemed to have disappointed the hierarchy, and they managed to bring in some of the most high-profiled names in the current scenario.
Besides signing Lionel Messi on a free transfer, they managed to get the services of Georginio Wijnaldum, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Sergio Ramos without a transfer fee. They signed two of the best full-backs in world football as well, with Achraf Hakimi completing a 70 million euros transfer alongside Nuno Mendes, who is currently on loan from Sporting Lisbon.
There are also some reports suggesting that the number of high-profile signings PSG made over the years have created a little unrest in the dressing room. Their biggest quest for many seasons now has been the Champions League, and they are off to a mediocre start, having drawn against Club Brugge (1-1).
