Four first-team players of Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), including Lionel Messi, have tested positive for COVID-19, the French club announced on Sunday.

"The 4 players that tested positive for Covid-19 are Leo Messi, Juan Bernat, Sergio Rico and Nathan Bitumazala. They are currently in isolation and are subject to the appropriate health protocol," PSG said in a statement.

Messi flew back home to Rosario during the Chirstmas break and reportedly tested positive on Saturday. He will need to test negative before he's allowed to return to France. That means he will miss the Coupe de France game against Vannes OC on Monday. So will Bernat, Rico and Bitumazala.

Messi's performance has given PSG fans mixed feelings since he joined the club in August 2021. On one hand, he scored only one goal and created just five assists for PSG in 11 Ligue 1 games, which was unimaginable for a guy who never had fewer than 23 goals in the domestic league since the 2008-09 season.

However, Messi would become sharp in the UEFA Champions League with five goals in five games. In fact, PSG failed to win any of the three games in which Messi either didn't score or remained on the bench.

As the club's 23-year-old genius Kylian Mbappe is likely to become a free agent and leave in summer, there will be very limited time for PSG to utilize their super combination of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar on the field.

The club also released an update on the recovery of Neymar from his left ankle injury. The Brazilian striker "will continue his treatment in Brazil until 9 January" and won't return to training in about three weeks.

PSG are playing against Olympique Lyonnais on the road in Ligue 1 on January 9 and hosting Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on February 15.