By Safiu Kehinde
Current Ballon d’Or holder and PSG star, Lionel Messi has given an update on his recovery from Covid-19 and potential return to the pitch.
In a post shared on his Instagram handle on Thursday, the Argentine admitted that the recovery is taking longer than he had thought, but he assured Paris Saint-Germain fans he will be back soon while appreciating those who checked out on him.
Accompanied by a picture of him and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, Lionel Messi’s caption read:
“As you know I had COVID and I wanted to thank you for all the messages I received and to tell you that it took longer than I thought to be well but I have almost recovered and I am really looking forward to getting back on the pitch.
“I have been training these days to get 100%, very beautiful challenges are coming this year and I hope we can see each other again very soon. Thanks!!”
The 34-year-old had been out of action since the beginning of the year after testing positive of Covid-19 while on Christmas holiday at Argentina. He was among the four PSG players that contracted the virus at the time.
Messi’s absence was not felt during PSG’s first game of the year against Vannes at the French Cup tournament. The Parisiens earned a comfortable 4-0 win with Kylan Mbappe registering an Hat-trick to his name. Pochettinho’s men, however, felt the absence of Messi and others against Lyon who held them to a 1-1 draw.
Asides the uncertainty of a return for Saturday’s Ligue 1 match against Brest, Messi will also be absent from his country’s FIFA qualifying matches slated for later dates this month and early next month. Rather, he will stay at Paris as he works towards his recovery and rebuilding his match fitness for Pochettinho’s side.
