Messi Hits The Ground Running … Faces Strasbourg Tomorrow

Messi was filmed by PSG easing himself into life at his new club

Lionel Messi has trained with his new club Paris Saint-Germain for the first time after completing his sensational switch – and also shared a moment with team-mate Kylian Mbappe as they prepare to take to the field together.

The all-time great walked out onto the pitch for the first time since Argentina’s Copa America final triumph earlier this summer, and was put through his paces at PSG’s Camp des Loges training complex yesterday.

In the footage shared by the club on Instagram, Messi was seen sprinting down the pitch and carrying out some drills on his own. Despite only arriving in Paris on Tuesday, he is reportedly already desperate to feature this weekend.

His return from downtime was marked with simple exercises, with Messi’s workload set to gradually increase while he gears up for the new season. The run-out caught on camera saw him race towards some cones and high-five a coach.

“I’ve been out of action for around a month and I need to get physically ready. I hope to be ready as soon as possible, because I can’t wait to play,” Messi admitted during his official unveiling at the Parc des Princes.

According to Marca, Messi was keen to hit the ground running in France and make a positive impression. He did just that after reporting to the club’s facility almost two hours early, at 9:15am, to take in his new surroundings.

RMC in France have even claimed that the clearly-eager Messi wants to be a part of PSG’s squad for their league fixture against Strasbourg tomorrow, despite his lack of a pre-season after returning from his holiday.

It is said Messi wants to be starting games as soon as possible, although the club’s coaching staff would prefer him to work on his sharpness first.