Lionel Messi is facing a race against time to feature in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League clash against Bayern Munich after picking up a hamstring injury.
PSG face a potentially season-defining Champions League Round of 16 clash against Bayern with Messi now a doubt for his club’s home tie on 14 February. The Argentine should return to fitness in time for the return leg in Munich on 8 March.
It represents another huge injury concern for Christophe Galtier’s side with Kylian Mbappe also feared to be unavailable for the match at the Parc des Princes. Mbappe limped off the pitch in his side's Ligue 1 victory at Montpellier last Wednesday.
While Mbappe is predicted to be unavailable for at least another ten days, the prognosis for Messi appears to give greater room for optimism. The 35-year-old sustained the muscular injury during his side’s midweek Coupe de France defeat at Marseille and L'Equipe reports he is now aiming to recover fitness for Bayern's visit.
That was a result that has ramped up the pressure on Galtier and the players to deliver in Europe and secure the club’s first-ever Champions League title. Failure to secure total domestic domination ensures that expectations in France have fallen short, even if they do secure this season’s Ligue 1 title.
"We made a few mistakes that cost us dearly," PSG club captain Marquinhos said of the Coupe de France elimination. "We shouldn’t add to it, we know what we need to improve. It’s a defeat that hurts because it’s a Cup match against our great rival. We wanted to come back to Paris with victory and qualification. We have to do better, keep working and go forward.”
While their Ligue 1 title is far from a formality with Marseille and Lens making it a three-team title race, PSG’s season is likely to be defined by their fortunes and progress in the Champions League – a trophy the club have never won, with the 2020 final defeat to Bayern their best performance in the competition.
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PSG eliminated the German giants the following season at the quarter-final stage but the two’s clash is arguably the standout tie in the Round of 16. Both teams and managers go into the match under immense pressure with unconvincing domestic campaigns, despite both sitting top of their respective leagues.
Bayern have won just 11 of their 19 Bundesliga matches this campaign and are just a point ahead of Union Berlin, while PSG’s cup exit comes amid unconvincing league form – with just three wins from their last six outings, including defeats at Lens and Rennes.
