Lionel Messi left out of the Paris St Germain squad as he battles a knee injury

Lionel Messi has been left out of the Paris St Germain squad for Wednesday evening’s Ligue 1 trip to Metz as he battles a knee injury.

The 34-year-old Argentina superstar underwent a scan on Tuesday after being substituted 14 minutes from time in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Lyon and is due to be assessed once again on Thursday.

In the meantime, manager Mauricio Pochettino, who insisted during his pre-match press conference that there is no rift between he and the former Barcelona man after he appeared puzzled by his withdrawal, has left him out of the 22-man travelling party.

Messi’s exclusion will not have gone unnoticed at Manchester City, who are due at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League next Tuesday night.

The much-decorated Argentina international joined PSG during the summer after his 21-year stay at the Nou Camp came to an end.

He made his debut as a substitute in a 2-0 win at Reims on August 29, but is yet to score for his new club in three appearances.