Lionel Messi pulls out of Malaga tie due to birth of his third child

Photo: Reuters

Catalonia: Lionel Messi has pulled out of Barcelona`s squad for Saturday`s La Liga match at Malaga with reports saying the birth of his third child is imminent. The club tweeted: "Change to the squad. Messi is out for personal reasons and Yerry Mina takes his place."

Messi`s wife Antonella Roccuzzo is expecting a boy, a brother to five-year-old Thiago and Mateo, who is two. The child is expected to be called Ciro. The Argentinian couple, both 30, first met as children in 1996. Their relationship began a decade later.

Barcelona, who face Chelsea in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, have an eight-point lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.