FCBARCELONA.CAT

19.01.2008 12:47

Leo Messi: Chronicle of an injury

Berta Brau

After being out for a month, Leo Messi returns to the squad to play in the three competitions Barça are still involved in. hopefully he’ll be able to maintain the good run he was on before he became injured.

Valencia-Barça, minute 42. The score 0-2 with two goals from Eto’o. Leo Messi begins a lone run on the right wing, when he feels a pulling on his left leg and he stops. After receiving immediate treatment, he leaves the pitch to be substituted by Giovani.

Muscle injury

T he resulting injury to the femoral biceps on his left leg will leave the Argeninean out of the squad for a month and four days. He’s been undergoing specific rehabilitation since the 15th of December. As a result, he’s missed out on three league games (Real Madrid, Mallorca and Murcia) and three Spanish Cup ties (the return game against Alcoià and both Seville ties).

Bad time to get injured

There’s never a good time to get injured, but it happened to Leo Messi at a key moment,
having already netted 8 goals in the Spanish League, and 4 the Champions League. Messi also missed out on the classic against Real Madrid, against whom he scored 3 last season.

A month and four days later

During his absence, Messi has been following an intensive rehabilitation programme, and he is now back for the second half of the league, the quarter finals of the Spanish Cup, and the knock-out stage of the Champions League.