Lionel Messi is set to make a return to Paris St-Germain’s starting line-up on Saturday, following his unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, which resulted in his initial suspension by the club for two weeks.
The Argentine captain is expected to feature in the Ligue 1 leaders’ game against AC Ajaccio, after missing out on the squad for their previous game against Troyes.
“I spoke with him on Tuesday to see what his mindset was and I found him very determined to play,” said PSG manager Christophe Galtier.
“He’s very eager to win that title. With him in the team, we’ll have to adjust compared to what we did against Troyes. Leo is Leo. I’m not going to go into statistics but when he’s with us we have to strike a different balance.”
Messi, who has a role as a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia, apologised to his teammates last Friday for making the unauthorised trip.
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The 35-year-old returned to training on Monday and is keen to help PSG achieve their goals this season.
However, Messi’s future at the club remains uncertain as his contract is set to expire in the summer. It is unclear whether he will stay with PSG or move on to a new challenge.