Lionel Messi To Skip Champions League Clash Between PSG And Benfica Due To Injury

Star footballer Lionel Messi suffered a calf injury, and so he has been ruled out of Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Champions League group stage clash with Benfica on Tuesday.

He got injured during PSG's trip to Portugal last week. There they were held to a 1-1 draw, but he will not be back for the return fixture, reported Goal.

With 8 goals and as many assists in 13 matches across all competitions, the Argentine is having a good time in his second season with the reigning French champions. In his absence, his team didn't produce a goal over the weekend. In Ligue 1, they were held to a goalless draw by Reims. PSG will hope that Messi recovers from his calf injury soon. It would allow him to take to the field against Marseille in Ligue 1 on Oct. 16.

It was reported on Sunday that Messi resumed racing and would practice on Monday, according to PSG Talk. The Parisian staff was optimistic about Messi's state of health. At the time, the chances of having him in the group against Benfica looked good.

Last Friday, the club and coach Christophe Galtier confirmed that the Argentina captain would miss out on the game away at Reims that was held on Saturday, reported Marca. The PSG coach said in the pre-match press conference on Friday that Messi would not be at "this matchday's game, but, if all goes well, he will return to training on Sunday morning."

On Friday, the Ligue 1 reigning champions issued a medical report to reveal that he would not be at Galtier's disposal for Saturday's match due to a calf strain. A statement on behalf of the club said that after coming off on Wednesday with a slight calf strain, "Messi underwent treatment after reassuring medical examinations." An "assessment of his progress" was to be made on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Messi seems to have rediscovered his form at PSG, which he joined last year. He has scored 5 goals and registered 7 assists in Ligue 1. He netted twice and managed one assist in the Champions League. But with his last World Cup starting soon, Messi doesn't want to take any risks. It is not clear how much he'll play and how much he'll rest between now and the beginning of the tournament.