PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino provides update on Lionel Messi and Neymar ahead of Champions League opener against Brugge
PSG forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar didn't feature in their Ligue 1 clash with Clermont Foot at the weekend. However, manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed the duo will be available for their Champions League opener with Club Brugge this week.
The Argentine tactician discussed Lionel Messi and Neymar's potential participation in the UCL this week and said:
“They came back to Paris on Friday night and trained today. I’m happy because even if they’re tired, they don’t have any physical problem. They will be here for Wednesday’s game."
Lionel Messi is expected to lead PSG's charge for European triumph this season after joining the club from Barcelona last month.
Pochettino has revealed that the attacker's adaptation is going well at the Parc des Princes. He said:
"Since he [Messi] arrived, he has really adapted very quickly, and he has trained really well, trying to reach his highest level as soon as possible. I have admired him as an opponent for a long time, so to see him now training with us is really nice. We hope that together we can achieve the goals set by the club."
“I didn’t think it would be possible (for him to sign with us), and when an opportunity like this presents itself, and everything goes so fast, you might not realize it immediately. However, there is this connection: we are both Argentines, we both support Newell’s (Old Boys), we are both from Rosario."
Lionel Messi with a point to prove at PSG
Lionel Messi is, without a doubt, one of the most successful footballers in history. However, critics have always highlighted the fact that all his success at club level has come only at Barcelona.
Having left the Catalan giants to join PSG this summer, the Argentine is now in a good position to put naysayers in their place.
With the Parisians' domestic stranglehold, he could easily win the Ligue 1 title and the French Cup this season. Should he manage to lead the club to success in the Champions League, it would definitely become one of the highlights of his career.