Paris St-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino has finally revealed why he substituted Lionel Messi in their last game, which ended 2-1 against Lyon. The manager said Messi had an injury, and he could not continue playing with the injury.
Lionel Messi appeared unhappy at being replaced, but Pochettino said he had taken a knock to his left knee. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner will not feature against Metz on Wednesday, and he is also doubtful for next week’s Champions League game against Manchester City.
According to Pochettino, he said he noticed “Leo was looking at his knee”. “We are pleased with the way he played.” “He played very well in the first half, and the only thing missing was a goal. He played for 76 minutes and, with all the information we had, we decided to take him off. “Of course I understand the situation, and I accept it as it is.”
The 2-1 win over Lyon was Lionel Messi’s third appearance for PSG since arriving at the club from Barcelona and his first at the Parc des Princes. PSG is topping the Ligue 1 with a maximum of 18 points from six games, host Montpellier on Saturday night before welcoming Manchester City to the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.