Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier revealed on Friday that his veteran Argentine team star Lionel Messi will miss the next Saint-Germain match in the French Ligue 1 on Saturday against Stade Reims due to a calf injury.
Galtier added in a press conference on Friday: He asked to be replaced (in the Champions League match against Benfica last Wednesday). He has a slight calf problem but will return to training on Sunday.
And there are other injuries in the ranks of the Parisian club, as defender Nuno Mendes is absent for three weeks due to a muscle injury, while Kylian Mbappe suffers from a throat infection.
Galtier said he expected France's Mbappe to join the squad and travel with the team, although he might be on the bench to give 20-year-old Hugo Iketico a second chance to start from the start.
Saint-Germain, who has not yet lost, leads the French league standings with 25 points from nine matches, two ahead of Olympique de Marseille, second-placed, who will host the bottom team Ajaccio on Saturday.
In response to a question about the possibility of resorting to a new defensive strategy, relying on four defenders instead of the three-line defense he is currently playing, Galtier explained that he will adhere to the current defensive system of his team without any change, despite the absence of Mendes and Presnel Kimpembe, who is absent due to a hamstring injury.
The coach also said: I will not change the current (defensive) system, especially since we do not have much time to work after our return from Lisbon at six in the morning Thursday.
After criticizing the team for exaggerating the use of planes in travel, Galtier said that his team will travel by bus to Reims, 150 kilometers from the French capital, to play the match.