Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are both dealing from the varying fallouts from Sunday’s dramatic World Cup final before attention returns to club football.
Mbappe netted a stunning final hat-trick as he beat Messi to win the Golden Boot; but it was Messi who got his hands on the trophy as he found the net twice to spearhead his side to victory courtesy of a dramatic penalty shootout.
Messi broke multiple records in the final while Mbappe became the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup showpiece since Geoff Hurst in 1966. The two were the standout attacking players in the tournament, scoring a combined total of 15 goals across the finals.
There is little over a week until Paris Saint-Germain are set to return to action, as they play host to Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on 28 December. However, it is unlikely that either Mbappe or Messi will be featuring in that squad as they are set to be handed an extra break to recover from their World Cup exploits.
The two stars will be drained following their efforts across the tournament and it has become standard practice for clubs to allow players a break from football of between seven and ten days following their conclusion in the World Cup to rest and recover.
Not only will the two require a physical rest from their travails but the emotional weight of participating in a World Cup final. Winning or losing is also significant, with it not unusual for players to require a psychological break from football in order to return at their maximum.
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While the league clash against Strasbourg is likely to come around too soon for both superstars, there are no shortage of games for Christophe Galtier’s side coming up for the duo to be restored into the first-team squad and return to duties.
Four days later, on New Year’s Day, PSG face a testing trip to Lens in Ligue 1 and on the 6 January, will travel to Chateauroux in the Coupe de France. The latest return date for both players is likely to be 11 January, when the Ligue 1 leaders host Angers.
PSG remain unbeaten in Ligue 1 through their first 15 matches this campaign and sit five points clear of Lens at the top of the standings. Their season may well be defined by their Champions League Round of 16 clash against Bayern Munich, whom they host in the first leg on 14 February.
