Lionel Messi was substituted by Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino at halftime due to precautionary injury protocols.

It was revealed ahead of the game on Friday that Messi had issues with his leg—he was questionable for the game and even missed the collective training session with the team on Thursday.

However, the Parisians pushed on and found a place for Messi on the starting lineup, only to be taken off at halftime by Pochettino. The Argentinian manager explains that it was no more than a precautionary act to preserve Messi's fitness. He hopes the 6-time Ballon d'Or winner will be available for their Champions League bout against RB Leipzig.

Via ESPN:

“It was a precaution, and we hope he will be available for the game against Leipzig,” said coach Mauricio Pochettino, referring to Wednesday's Champions League Group A game.”

The early substitution meant that Messi would continue on with his goal-scoring struggles with PSG in Ligue 1. He's managed to hit the woodwork many times. however, Messi has yet to score for PSG in each of his five league appearances.

After a hard-fought match, PSG still managed to secure the victory against last year's champions after a late strike from Angel di Maria. The Parisians knock Lille even further down the league table with the 2019 league champions sitting at a subpar 11th place.