One of the main storylines heading into the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich centers on the health of Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward missed PSG’s Ligue 1 away fixture against AS Monaco due to a hamstring injury.
PSG manager Christophe Galtier confirmed on Friday that Messi will be available to feature against Bayern Munich on Tuesday, although it is unclear whether the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will be at 100 percent for the contest.
If it were up to former France national team manager Raymond Domenech, he would roll out Messi to play against the reigning Bundesliga champions, even if the forward is not fully fit for the matchup.
“There is no hesitation to have,” Domenech said during a recent appearance on the “L’Equipe du Soir” program. “We must try. If they don’t try, it’s useless because the PSG season is based on the European Cup.
“They will be French champions with or without Messi, so that’s where everything will be decided for Paris. … It is necessary to prepare him to play, and it is only a small discomfort in the thigh. … He knows how to manage himself, he knows where he stands, the last test for his participation will be the day of the game, they will try some acceleration, and it should be fine.”
All eyes sure will be on PSG’s upcoming training sessions on Sunday and Monday.