Paris Saint-Germain had been desperate for Lionel Messi not to be called up for international duty in the next break, and the French club have had their wish granted with Lionel Scaloni leaving the former Barcelona star out of his squad to face Chile and Colombia.
Argentina have already booked a place in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, so they have no real reason to push for a place in the tournament, which is why the French club have made a direct request to AFA to leave Messi on the team.
The injury-hit Messi’s season, and getting a COVID-19 contract during the New Year has made life very difficult for him.
PSG needs a fit Messi and is available on February 15, which is the day the clubface Real Madrid in the first leg of the 16th round of the UEFA Champions League.
The Paris club have been plagued by a number of star missions in the Champions League, with Neymar having to wait until his third year at Parc des Princes before making a significant contribution to the club.
Messi has missed 12 of the 26 games PSG has played since writing this summer, and as a result, he has not been able to really build much rhythm with his teammates.
This, coupled with Neymar’s absence, has revived the reliance on Kylian Mbappe, who may not be at the club next season, with Mauricio Pochettino watching the results and performance decline.
Not surprisingly, Messi is considered very important, not only for what he brings to the field from a technical point of view but also for his experience in winning the Champions League.
PSG have a good relationship with AFA, but it was understood when Messi signed for the club that he would prioritize his international career.
This was welcomed, although much to the chagrin of PSG sporting director Leonardo since then, but as Argentina already qualified, the player himself offered the opportunity to miss two games against Chile and Colombia.
