Lionel Messi Injury Recovery Latest News Update: Barcelona Denies Relapse in Injury but Admits Star Player's Recuperation ’Taking Longer Than Expected’

Barcelona have denied reports that Lionel Messi suffered a relapse in his recovery from the calf injury he had suffered in pre-season but admitted that the Argentine star is taking longer than expected. Messi is yet to feature for the La Liga champions this season and sat out of club’s opening three league matches before the international break. The Barcelona captain was initially supposed to return immediately after the international break drew to an end but now it seems that he will take longer time and might miss another couple of games in La Liga. Lionel Messi 'Can Leave' at End of Season, Says Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu.

According to a report from RAC1, Messi, 32, suffered a relapse in his recovery from the calf injury that kept him out of football since the start of August. Messi played through the injury during Argentina’s 2019 Copa America campaign but later aggravated it and reportedly ad to eventually sit out after injuring himself again during a training session at Camp Nou. Lionel Messi Injury Latest News Update: When Will the Barcelona Skipper Make a Comeback?

Reports from the club, however, insisted that the player did not even train on Tuesday and stated that the report is untrue. Sport English also confirmed the news and said that although there was no further relapse in his recovery, Messi might take more time than it would have usually taken for him to recover. Barcelona are also being extra cautious in ensuring that there is no more damage to the return of their skipper. A Messi-less Barca failed to win any of their two away matches in La Liga. The Blaugrana club lost 0-1 to Athletic Bilbao in the season-opener and drew 2-2 at Osasuna in the final game before the break.

The Catalan club are placed eighth in the La Liga points table after winning just one – 5-2 win against Real Betis – in three league matches. Atletico Madrid with 100 percent win record in three La Liga games lead the domestic points table, while Bilbao are placed second with seven points. Barca’s El Classico rivals Real Madrid at in the fifth position with the same number of points from three matches.

New Barcelona signing Frankie de Jong was also kept out of the regular squad training. But, unlike, Messi, he has not suffered any injury. According to Sport, going through 'specific individual work' to create better on-field understandings with the squad.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2019 05:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).