Messi apologises to PSG teammates over Saudi trip

Lionel Messi has apologised to Paris St Germain and his teammates on Friday after being suspended for making a trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this week. French media reported that Messi was suspended for two weeks after an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, when he was supposed to train with the squad the day after the Ligue 1 leaders' 3-1 defeat at home to Lorient on Sunday. "I sincerely believed that I would have the day off after the game as had been happening in previous weeks," Messi said in a video on Instagram.

"I had this trip organised and I couldn't cancel it, I had already cancelled it before." "I apologise to my teammates and I'm waiting for what the club wants to do with me," added the Argentina forward. PSG boss Christophe Galtier said earlier on Friday that he had nothing to do with the club's decision to suspend Messi, who is set to miss the next two matches at Troyes and home to Ajaccio as they look to keep their Ligue 1 lead intact. "We'll see when Leo returns, we'll see what happens. Obviously there will be discussions with the entire club, but also with Leo," Galtier had said at a press conference.

The writing now appears to be on the wall for Messi at PSG, whose president Nasser Al Khelaifi was already committed to ending the "bling bling" culture at the club and rebuilding around young, local talent.

The renewal of Kylian Mbappe's contract last year, even though it came at enormous cost, is seen as part of that new strategy. Messi, however, seems to no longer fit into those plans.

It has been reported Messi's father, Jorge, informed the club's director of football a few weeks ago that his son did not want to extend his contract by another year.

PSG are five points clear of Olympique de Marseille with five