Messi tests negative for COVID-19, already back in Paris

PARIS - Lionel Messi has tested negative for COVID-19 and already returned to Paris and will be back in training with the team in the coming days, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed on Wednesday.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was contaminated by the virus last week in Argentina, which forced him to have missed PSG's 4-0 French Cup win over Vannes on Monday.

"Messi has tested negative for COVID-19. He has arrived in Paris and will rejoin the squad in the next few days," PSG said in a statement on Wednesday.

But the club didn't give details when will the Argentine striker back to games as the Ligue 1 frontrunners will travel to Lyon on Sunday to play their first league match after the winter break.

Mauricio Pochettino's side are dominant in the French top flight this season, having established a comfortable 13-point lead in the table after playing half of the season. But the former Barcelona superstar has not delivered a convincing performance at the Parc des Princes, with only one goal in 11 league appearances.

The capital-based powerhouses also said that left-back Layvin Kurzawa had tested positive for COVID-19 and was in self-isolation under the health protocols.