Messi still made to wait for PSG debut

TIL Desk Sports/ Lionel Messi will not be included in Paris St Germain’s squad for Friday’s Ligue 1 game at Brest, a French daily reported, adding that his former Barcelona team mate Neymar has also been left out. French daily added on its website that Italy’s Euro 2020 winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has been called up alongside compatriot Marco Verratti, Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria.

Verratti was also part of Italy’s squad which beat England in the Euro 2020 final on penalties at Wembley, while Di Maria scored Argentina’s winner in a 1-0 victory over hosts Brazil in the Copa America showpiece.

Earlier on Thursday, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino had left open the possibility that Messi could feature against Brest when he declined to specify whether the six-times Ballon d’Or winner would finally make his debut.

The 34-year-old Messi is yet to feature for the French giants after joining them from Barcelona earlier this month and he was presented to the fans ahead of PSG’s 4-2 home win over Strasbourg on Saturday. “Everything is positive,” Pochettino told a news conference at PSG’s training camp.