Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw by Atletico Madrid in a game which saw Lionel Messi brought off with a groin injury.
Advertisement
The five-time World Player of the Year missed Argentina’s last qualifier in Venezuela earlier this month due to a similar injury.
Despite the midweek games, there is a full list of fixtures in La Liga this weekend.
But following an innocuous tussle with Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin, he was forced to come off just before the hour mark on Wednesday night.
The Catalans announced today that there was no need for further tests on their number 10, but that he would miss three weeks of action.
Messi won’t play in at least three games ” at Sporting Gijon and Celta Vigo in the Spanish league, and at Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Champions League.
He is also expected to miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay on October 6 and 11.
Messi’s earlier injury was to his left groin.
“To lose Messi means that football loses”.
It would not be the first time Messi opted not to heed medical advice to play.
‘There’s no question we are stronger with Messi, when these things happen we all have to give a little bit more’. He announced himself fit to play against Alaves before Coach Luis Enrique made a decision to rest him. At 29, Messi still has plenty left in his tank, but his heavy schedule in recent years could be taking a toll.
FC’s Paolo Bandini discusses how Lionel Messi’s injury in the match against Atletico Madrid will affect Barcelona.
The Catalans are now sitting third in the table, three points behind leaders Real Madrid and one point adrift of Sevilla in second.
Worse was to follow for Barca as Angel Correa then equalised for the visitors, jinking past Javier Mascherano and steering a shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen and in off a post.
Advertisement
Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic heads the ball to score a goal against Atletico Madrid’s Filipe Luis and goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
