PSG confirm Lionel Messi will be unavailable for selection against Brest

PSG have confirmed that Lionel Messi will remain sidelined from their Ligue 1 clash with Brest on Sunday.

The Argentine ace tested positive for COVID-19 at the start of the month and has missed all of his side's games since.

However, he recently posted a message on Instagram saying he's almost recovered, despite "taking a longer time than expected".

There were still doubts over the playmaker's availability for the weekend though. PSG have now released their medical report, which confirms the Argentine star will miss the game against Brest.

It's said that Messi will continue to work with his medical staff and is set to integrate with the rest of the group soon. He returned to training earlier this week but has been working individually.

The report also confirmed that Denis Franchi is also out with COVID-19, while Neymar and Alexandre Letellier are injured.

The Brazilian sustained a knee injury last month and is still a few weeks away from gaining full fitness.

Letellier, PSG's third-choice goalkeeper, meanwhile, has tissue damage in his right calf, so he won't play any part this weekend either.

Messi is yet to appear for PSG in 2022, having missed both their clashes in the new year so far. The upcoming game will be the third in a row he's ruled out of.

Since his shock transfer from Barcelona last August, the 34-year-old star's time in France has been blighted by recurring injuries, limiting him to only 11 league appearances.

In Ligue 1, he's managed to score just one goal, setting the alarm bells ringing in Paris, although Messi has chipped in with five assists.

His performances in the Champions League, though, have been fine as ever, guiding the side into the Round of 16 with five goals from as many games.

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Lionel Messi's torrid run with PSG continues

Despite his showings in Europe, Messi's overall time with the Parisians has been disappointing so far.

Injuries have wreaked havoc on his season so much that after this weekend, he'd have missed eight games in all competitions for PSG this season already!

His first year in Paris is seriously running the risk of turning into a huge flop, with just one league goal halfway through the season being the worst return of his career.

Having spent his entire professional career in Spain prior to this move, he's naturally struggled to adapt to completely new surroundings.

But for a player of his caliber, expectations will always be high, and it's not been met so far.