Lionel Messi is set to make his eagerly awaited Paris Saint-Germain debut on Sunday night.
The Argentine superstar has been named in compatriot Mauricio Pochettino’s 22-man matchday squad for the Ligue 1 clash away against Reims at the Stade Auguste-Delaune (7:45pm BST kick-off) after building up his match fitness over recent weeks.
Kylian Mbappe is also in the squad for Sunday’s contest, despite being the subject of a second huge offer from long-term suitors Real Madrid ahead of the looming transfer deadline.
Messi stunned the football world earlier this month when he joined PSG on an initial lucrative two-year deal that includes the option of a third following the end of his illustrious 21-year association with Barcelona that brought 34 major trophies and 672 goals in 778 appearances.
Barcelona had agreed a new five-year contract with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner that would have seen him take a 50 per cent wage cut at Camp Nou, but ultimately could not honour that deal due to LaLiga's salary limit.
"He is very motivated,” Pochettino recently said of Messi, who has not played since Argentina’s Copa America final win over Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in July.
"He's a great professional who is adapting very fast to his new team-mates and to a new context."
