Will Lionel Messi be fit for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar?
Fans across the world were dejected when Lionel Messi confirmed in October that the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar will be his last. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) then announced in a statement that the Argentine superstar would miss the Parisians' penultimate game before the World Cup due to an injury, further escalating their angst.
This raises the question, will Lionel Messi be fit for the upcoming FIFA World Cup?
PSG confirmed earlier this week that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner would miss their Ligue 1 fixture against Lorient, which they won 2-1 yesterday (October 6), after suffering inflammation in the Achilles tendon. However, they did state that Lionel Messi was only being sidelined as a precaution.
The statement read (via GOAL):
"Suffering inflammation in the Achilles tendon, Leo Messi will remain in care as a precaution. He will return to collective training next week."
This statement suggests that the Argentina captain must be rested in order to be fully fit for the FIFA World Cup, which certainly comes as a relief to Argentina supporters.
As things stand, Lionel Messi looks set to appear in what will be his last World Cup. The 35-year-old forward will be looking to lead Argentina to international glory for the first time since 1986, when they last won the prestigious trophy.
Lionel Messi opens up about injury fears ahead of FIFA World Cup in Qatar
The PSG forward previously revealed his fears of missing the FIFA World Cup due to injuries, after witnessing Argentine teammates Paulo Dybala and Angel di Maria suffering from similar woes (via The Mirror).
"Injuries are a worry. This is a different World Cup which is played at a different time of the year to previous tournaments and it’s so imminent any little thing that happens to you can force you out. With what happened to Dybala and Di Maria, the truth is that personally you worry and you’re more afraid when you see those sort of things."