Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier has confirmed that Lionel Messi will return to club action against Angers next week.
Messi has taken part in training over the last couple of days after returning from a short break following Argentina's World Cup success.
The 35-year-old scored seven goals and provided three assists on his way to winning his first and Argentina's third World Cup trophy.
His outstanding performances, which included a brace in the final, earned him the Golden Ball award, while he also moved past Gabriel Batistuta to become Argentina's highest World Cup scorer with 13 goals.
After celebrating the historic success, Messi has rejoined the PSG squad ahead of their French Cup game against third-tier Chatearoux on Friday.
Galtier has stated that Messi will be rested for the cup tie, but he should be available for the league match against Angers on January 11.
"He will not play tomorrow," Galtier said. "Having discussed with him, we want him to be ready for the following game."
PSG will also be without Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi, who have travelled to New York after being given time off, while Galtier has revealed Neymar will also miss the cup fixture.
The 56-year-old said: "We knew there would be absences after the World Cup. As for Neymar's absence in training, it had been scheduled after all players were assessed upon their return from the World Cup.
"We decided with the medical staff that Neymar, with everything he has experienced with his ankle problem (in Qatar), needed time. He won't play tomorrow."
The PSG boss is keen for his side to return to winning ways after they lost 3-1 to title rivals Lens on Sunday, which reduced the gap at the top of the Ligue 1 table to four points.
Galtier added: "There was disappointment, frustration and sometimes anger, but we want to bounce back with an important game as the Cup is one of the important goals of the club. Getting straight back into it is the best to eliminate that frustration."
Meanwhile, a recent report claimed that Messi could sign a new PSG deal this week, with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season.
The Argentina international has been linked with a return to his former club Barcelona, while a move to the MLS has also been mooted as a possibility.
With Messi appearing to be on the verge of a new PSG deal, he will want to pick up where he left off, after scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists across 19 appearances for the French champions in the first half of the campaign. body check tags ::
