Lionel Messi Among 4 PSG Players to Test Positive for Covid-19

Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is among four players in the Paris Saint-Germain squad to have tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the team’s French Cup game on Monday night.

“He is constantly in contact with our medical service. When he is negative, he will be able to return to France,” PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino told a press conference.

PSG added that one staff member also had COVID-19 in a statement on Saturday night. None of them were named at that point, but in a further statement on the team’s medical news Sunday the club named Messi, left back Juan Bernat, backup goalie Sergio Rico and 19-year-old midfielder Nathan Bitumazala.

Pochettino added: “We have been living with the virus for almost two years, everyone knows what to do in order not to be infected. But we can still catch it, there are things we cannot control.”

“This is the risk with which we live, on a global scale,” said Pochettino. “In football, contact is inevitable, we share the dressing room.

“The risk of contamination is there, but we take all the necessary measures to try to prevent a player from infecting others.”

PSG is playing at third-tier Vannes. Mesi will miss Monday’s cup tie and will likely also be sidelined for PSG’s first Ligue 1 match since the winter break, at Lyon next Sunday.

Messi has scored only one goal in 11 league appearances for PSG, although he has netted five times in the Champions League.

The club also mentioned that Neymar JR will continue his treatment in Brazil until January 9 with members of the Paris Saint-Germain medical and performance staff and his return to training is still expected to be in about three weeks.

Last year’s runner-up Monaco was in action later Sunday at second-tier Quevilly-Rouen in one of 13 games scheduled for the day as sides bid to reach the last 16.

Monaco said Saturday that seven players had COVID-19 but none showed any worrying signs and are isolating.

(With inputs from Agencies)