Madrid: FC Barcelona coach Tata Martino and midfielder Cesc Fabregas have expressed concern over the muscle problems affecting striker Lionel Messi.
Messi was forced out of his side`s 4-1 win away to Betis Sunday night with an injury to his left hamstring. It is the latest in a series of muscle injuries which have affected the Argentine since the run in to the end of last season and it happened in his fifth match back after overcoming a similar injury.
The setback means he will not play in Argentina`s forthcoming friendly matches against Ecuador and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and is doubtful for the next two weeks of Spanish Primera Liga action.
"We are going to have to talk to Leo about whether or not he is worried, but it is the third injury that he has suffered of this kind (this season) and we don`t know how it has affected his confidence," said Martino.
"I can`t explain what is happening to him and I don`t know whether or not it is down to coincidence, but I don`t want to speak about things I don`t know. First of all I want to know how serious the injury is and then get him fit again."
"We have the best player in the world but after that we have another four who are in the top six or seven in the world," said the Barcelona coach.
Cesc Fabregas was one of Barca`s heroes in the win with two goals and speaking after the game, the midfielder who has suffered his share of injuries, had a word of advice for Messi.
"He needs to rest for the time that is needed. He needs to be able to use his explosive pace in order to shine. Something similar happened to me and it is very difficult, you think that you have recovered but it`s not the case," said Cesc, who insisted that patience is important with this kind of muscle problem.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.