PSG boss confident Messi can face Bayern despite injury

Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier said he expects Lionel Messi to be fit to face Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday, despite being unavailable this weekend due to a hamstring injury.

Messi suffered the hamstring strain after playing 90 minutes in PSG’s French Cup loss to Marseille on Wednesday.

Galatier confirmed that the Argentine World Cup winner will will miss this weekend’s Ligue 1 clash against AS Monaco, but said he would return to training on Monday ahead of the clash with Bayern at the Parc des Princes.

“Leo felt muscle fatigue, he will resume training on Monday. He is not uncertain for Bayern,” Galtier said at a news conference Friday.

“We know the importance of Leo in our game. In his absence, we’ll have to play in a different way with a more solid, more compact team structure.

“Obviously going to Monaco without Leo is always annoying. Injuries happen when there is a sequence of games with a World Cup in the middle of the season. It’s up to me to have both a successful team while injecting freshness.”

Messi, 35, has 10 goals and 10 assists in Ligue 1 this season.

PSG have already lost Kylian Mbappe to injury for two more weeks, which means the French forward will play no part in the first leg against the German champions.

“Concerning Kylian, the communication has been made. We talked about an unavailability of three weeks. Kylian is being treated,” Galtier said.

However, Galtier confirmed Achraf Hakimi has overcome a hamstring problem and would be available.

PSG are top of Ligue 1 with 54 points from 22 games, eight points ahead of second-placed Marseille. Monaco are fourth with 44 points