Soccer-Messi, Neymar fit to face Brugge in Champions League – Pochettino
September 11, 2021
PARIS (Reuters) – Lionel Messi and Neymar will be in Paris St Germain’s squad for their Champions League opening game against Club Brugge on Wednesday after missing this weekend’s Ligue 1 action, coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Saturday.
The duo was not involved in Saturday’s 4-0 crushing of promoted Clermont at home after returning late from World Cup qualifiers with Argentina and Brazil but both will be fit for action in Belgium for the Group A game.
“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,” Pochettino told a news conference after PSG’s fifth win in as many matches in Ligue 1.
“They will be here for Wednesday’s game.”
Neymar started his season against Stade de Reims on Aug. 29, the day Messi made his debut for the Parisian club as he came on as a second-half substitute.
Both, however, played full World Cup qualifying games with their respective national teams since then.
In their absence, fellow striker Kylian Mbappe shone on Saturday, scoring his team’s third and proving a constant threat throughout.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)