Lionel Messi set to miss PSG's Ligue 1 clash against Metz; Mauricio Pochettino reveals why

Paris Saint-Germain are preparing to take on Metz on Wednesday in the Ligue 1, however, they will have to do it without six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi. PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that the Argentine star will miss the game due to a knock he picked up in the match against Lyon. 

Earlier on Tuesday, PSG had released an official statement that said Messi took a knock to his left knee against Lyon and underwent an MRI. There were signs of bruising of the bone and the statement revealed that a follow-up examination would be carried out.

In a recent press conference before their match against Metz, Pochettino was asked about Messi being unavailable for the game and whether the injury was the reason behind Pochettino substituting Messi in the match. The PSG boss responded by saying:

"I think the club has already released a statement about Leo Messi and his situation. So, that is clear. In order to explain, on the sideline, we observe all the players and everything that is happening during games. We saw that Messi was checking his knee and made some gestures.

"We saw that when he took a shot. I was pleased with his performance. He did very well in the first half. I am pleased with his commitment and performance. All that was missing was a goal. In his 75 minutes on the pitch, as I have explained with all the information that we had, we made the decision to substitute him. That is the situation in terms of what happened."

Messi's substitution and Pochettino's reaction to the denial of handshake

After PSG emerged victorious in their Ligue 1 clash against Lyon on September 20, the biggest talking point of the match was Lionel Messi’s substitution in the 66th minute of the game. Manager Mauricio Pochettino replaced Messi with Achraf Hakimi at a point when the scores were level at 1-1. Messi looked confused while returning to the dugout and apparently refused to shake his manager's hands.

As Messi was substituted in the 66th minute, fans spotted Messi’s dejection and expressed their opinion on the move by Pochettino. The PSG coach was then asked about the image of Messi denying a handshake when taken off and he responded by saying:

"Of course I understand the situation and I accept it as it is. I am not more or less surprised. The priority is always the players and their well-being. As I explained earlier with the internal information that we had, we felt that the best thing for him after 75 minutes was to bring him off.

"Of course, all top players want to be on the pitch at all times. As that is understandable. I am calm about it. I am not surprised, and it is normal for that sort of thing to happen."

(Image: AP/psg.fr)