the year has another leg injury - his third of the season -
and this time needs six to eight weeks to recover. That
would rule Messi out until about Christmas, when the
Spanish league takes its annual winter break.
The Argentina forward tore his left hamstring Sunday in
Barcelona's 4-1 victory at Real Betis. He struggled with a
hamstring problem toward the end of last season, and
Barcelona scuffled without him.
This season, the 26-year-old forward hurt his left thigh
in August and then was sidelined for three weeks after
tearing a small muscle in his right thigh in late
September.
It's reason for concern for both Barcelona and Argentina,
whose hopes of winning next summer's World Cup largely
rest on having a healthy Messi.
''It's worrying when a player injures himself in the same
place,'' Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said after
dropping Messi from the South Americans' exhibitions
against Ecuador and Bosnia-Herzegovina. ''Being injured
so near the World Cup could be influential.''
Barcelona leads the Spanish league but will now be without
Messi for up to eight games, including its last two
Champions League group games against Ajax and Celtic,
four Spanish League matches and the two legs of the
Copa del Rey's round of 32.
Despite his many injury problems this season, Messi has
scored 14 goals in 16 games. But he endured a four-game
scoreless streak in the league - an eternity by his
standards - and he hasn't had his usual burst of speed
when playing less than fully healthy.
''Messi needs to stop and take care of himself,''
Barcelona teammate Cesc Fabregas said. ''I also went
through a very bad year-and-a-half at Arsenal because
of the same injury. I hope he recovers, and that he takes
all the time he needs to make sure he's well.''
Fabregas is dealing with injury, too. Barcelona said he
injured his right knee in Sunday's game and will miss
Spain's upcoming exhibitions against Equatorial Guinea
and South Africa. Barcelona teammate Marc Bartra was
called up to replace Fabregas for the games.
Courtesy yahoosports.
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