Lionel Messi suffers flu-like illness ahead of Monaco match

It seems that Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi just can't catch a break at his new club. It has been reported that he suffered yet another health setback this weekend. The Argentine has been suffering from flu-like symptoms for the past two days and was unable to join his teammates for training on Friday.

This confirms that Messi will have to miss the club's Ligue 1 match against AS Monaco on Sunday. The Argentine will be out of action for PSG this weekend and it remains to be seen how quickly he will recover and be fit for action. This also puts into question whether he will travel back to South America for Argentina's last two matches in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers scheduled for later this month.

The club has not confirmed if Messi has been tested for Covid-19, with the Argentine having already tested positive earlier this year. He missed some matches coming off the Christmas break, after catching the virus while in his home country.

On the club level, Messi has missed 10 of the 28 Ligue 1 matches that have been played this season. In that time, he has only scored two goals, a dismal tally compared to his performances throughout most of his professional career with FC Barcelona. However, on the bright side, he is the Ligue 1 leader when it comes to providing assists.

Nevertheless, so much more is expected from the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner. His first season with PSG has been below expectations, and the past two weeks has been exceptionally miserable. The club was booted out of the UEFA Champions League in the round-of-16 by Real Madrid despite having had a 2-0 advantage.

After that, PSG fans showed their frustration by booing both Messi and Neymar in their own stadium despite recording a 3-0 victory over Bordeaux. Reports of Messi's unhappiness have started to emerge, with rumours stating that his father is already trying to find a way back to the Camp Nou as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, another former La Liga superstar has also been suffering at PSG. Sergio Ramos moved to Paris alongside Messi last summer, but has been sidelined for most of the year and has only made four appearances.