“Leo has had a great World Cup, also with victory. He had to return to Argentina for the celebrations and we decided that he was going to cut it off until January 1,” Galtier said at his press conference on the eve of the team’s league game against Strasbourg, on the sixteenth day.
“He is going to join us either on January 2 or 3, to be able to resume the competition. He will have had between thirteen and fourteen days of recovery,” he specified.
The Rosario star, chosen the best player of Qatar 2022, is on vacation in Argentina and will not play at the earliest with PSG in Ligue 1 before the duel against Angers on matchday 18 of the French championship, on January 11.
The other World Cup players, including Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, “will be available for tomorrow’s game (Wednesday)” against Strasbourg, Galtier said.
Mbappé, defeated with France by Messi’s Argentina in the World Cup final, surprised by rejoining PSG training just three days after that setback in Lusail, where the ‘Bleus’ fell in a penalty shootout (4-2 after a draw 3-3). The three French goals were achieved by Mbappé himself.
“We have managed case by case. After having spoken with him, Kylian wanted to rejoin quickly. This does not mean that there is not, for both (Achraf) Hakimi and Kylian (Mbappé), a moment in which they have to recover, no particularly on the physical plane but on the mental plane,” he said.
Paris Saint-Germain is five points ahead of second-place Lens in the French league standings ahead of matchday 16.