Messi took longer than he expected to fight off COVID-19

Posted Friday, January 14, 2022 by Marca.com

The Argentine has spoken out for the first time since testing positive

Lionel Messi and wife, Antonela Roccuzzo

Having tested positive for COVID-19 and seeing his return to Paris delayed after the Christmas holidays, Lionel Messi is finally on the road to recovery.?The Argentine was unable to get back to Europe on time after the holiday period having come down with the virus, ruling him out of action for Paris Saint-Germain.

Now, the forward has broken his silence on the matter, posting to Instagram from his home in Paris.

"As you know, I had COVID and wanted to thank you all for the messages I received," Messi wrote. "I wanted to tell you that it took longer than I thought it would to be well again, but I'm almost fully recovered and I'm looking forward to getting back on the pitch.

"I've been training in the last few days to reach 100 percent. There are big challenges awaiting this year and hopefully we can all see each other again soon. Thanks to you all!"

Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentine Football Association have spoken to agree on Messi missing his country's upcoming fixtures against Chile and Colombia on January 27 and February 1, respectively. The player will have the final say on whether or not he takes part.