Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is expected to finally make his debut for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this weekend but his first appearance in Ligue 1 is overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe’s potential move to Real Madrid.
Messi has not featured in either of PSG's two Ligue 1 games since arriving in the French capital as he continues to work up his fitness having returned to training late after captaining Argentina to Copa America glory last month.
"It will be a long week, but if everything goes well we hope he can be in the squad and feature in the team," Pochettino told ESPN after the Qatar-owned club beat Brest 4-2 last time out.
There is logic in giving Messi a run-out against Reims, so that he is not completely lacking in match sharpness before joining up with the Argentina squad for a series of World Cup qualifiers at the start of September.
The same applies to Neymar, who has also not featured for his club this season after playing against Argentina in the Copa America final and then enjoying an extended summer break.
Neymar and Messi could come up against each other again with Brazil due to host Argentina in Sao Paulo on Sept. 5, although the international window is under threat with clubs elsewhere in Europe refusing to release players to travel to represent their countries.
The match at the 21,000-capacity Stade Auguste-Delaune – with its statue of former Ballon d'Or winner Raymond Kopa, the ex-Reims and Real Madrid great, outside – is a sell-out, and the Champagne region is fizzing with excitement at the prospect of welcoming Messi.
In Paris, though, they are more concerned about Mbappe, after a week which saw Madrid put in an offer of 160 million euros ($188 million) for the 22-year-old World Cup winner.
Mbappe, in the final year of his contract, has already been starring for PSG this season and scored his first goal of the campaign last week in Brest.
But with time running out before the transfer window closes on Aug. 31, it remains to be seen if Mbappe will feature in Reims, if the game could be his last in Ligue 1, or if he might already have left by then.
"If a player wants to leave, he will leave. The club, the project is bigger than any one person," admitted PSG sporting director Leonardo.
Losing Mbappe would be a hammer blow to PSG's prestige, but then again having Messi and Neymar ready to step in suggests they might cope without the France forward.
