Lionel Messi unveiled ahead of PSG match but not included in squad

Paris St Germain (PSG) presented Lionel Messi to fans inside the Parc des Princes stadium ahead of their Ligue 1 clash with Strasbourg, but the Argentine was not included in the squad for the 4-2 victory that saw them take a maximum six points from the opening two matches of the 2021-22 Ligue 1 campaign.

Messi took to the field pre-match along with fellow new recruits Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, and Georginio Wijnaldum, and spoke to the raucous crowd.

“It has been a very special week for me,” he said. “I want to thank everyone for the reception since I arrived in Paris. It has been truly incredible. I feel very happy and excited.

“I hope together we can enjoy this year and make it a great year for us. I am very excited about everything.”

As expected, Messi was not named in the match squad after coach Mauricio Pochettino said this week that the 34-year-old is not yet fully fit.

Italy goalkeeper Donnarumma, fresh off a Euro 2020 triumph and formerly of AC Milan, and veteran defender Ramos, who is a Real Madrid legend, were also not included. Hakimi, purchased from Inter Milan, and Wijnaldum, from Liverpool, were selected to start.

Messi joined PSG this week on a two-year contract with the option of extending it by another year after Barcelona said they could not afford to keep him because of LaLiga’s financial fair play rules.

2021-22 Ligue 1 season odds

1. PSG: +500
2. Lille: +900
3. Lyon: +900
4. Monaco: +1200
5. Marseille: +1600
6. Montpellier: +3300
7. Rennes: +4000
8. Lens: +5000
9. Nice: +10000
10. Bordeaux: +50000
11. Clermont: +50000
12. Metz: +50000
13. Nantes: +50000
14. St Etienne: +50000
15. Troyes: +50000
16. Angers: +75000
17. Brest: +100000
18. Lorient: +100000
19. Reims: +100000
20. Strasbourg: +100000

Odds courtesy of William Hill