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Lionel Messi will not take part in Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Ligue 1 clash against Lorient on Sunday (6 November) with a fitness issue, as per @PSGHub on Twitter.
The Argentina icon has apparently suffered an inflamed Achilles tendon which will put him out of action for a few days. However, the situation is reportedly not serious.
Manager Christophe Galtier can expect Messi to return to collective training next week. It would be a blow for PSG not to have Lionel Messi in the squad for the clash at Le Stade du Moustoir.
The former Barcelona forward has arguably been PSG's best player this season, registering 12 goals and 14 assists in 18 games across competitions. He has already missed two games this season due to a calf issue.
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Messi sat out of Les Parisiens' 0-0 league draw against Stade de Reims on 8 October and the 1-1 UEFA Champions League draw against SL Benfica three days later.
It remains to be seen who Galtier will start in Lionel Messi's position against Les Merlus. Lorient have had a very good start to the season as they sit fourth in the league table with 27 points from 12 games.
However, the Parisians will be the obvious favorites going into this game. They are on an 11-game unbeaten streak in Ligue 1 away from home, with their last loss coming against AS Monaco (0-3) at Stade Louis II in March.
Who can PSG play against Lorient in Lionel Messi's absence?
Going by the Ligue 1 giants' lineups in their draws against Benfica and Reims, Pablo Sarabia could play against Lorient in Messi's absence.
The Spaniard started on the right of centre-forward Kylian Mbappe in both those draws. PSG will play just once before the season stops for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Les Parisiens will hope to have the Argentine back in their matchday squad for the Ligue 1 game against Auxerre on Sunday (13 November). With the World Cup commencing just a week after that fixture, it will be interesting to see if Messi is risked against the Burgundy-based outfit.
La Albiceleste officially begin their World Cup campaign with a group encounter against Saudi Arabia on 22 November.
