Lionel Messi Arm Injury: Here’s the List of Injuries Barcelona Star Has Suffered Over the Years

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest player to have graced the game and a huge credit to it also goes to his fitness which is usually top notch. Being injury free makes him always available for matches and avoids an unnecessary break in rhythm. His broken arm against Sevilla now puts him out of the game for minimum three weeks and also makes him unavailable for the massive El Classico. A fractured radial bone after landing awkwardly on his arm marks first real injury concern for the Argentine since the 2016 season. Let us look at the history of Barcelona’s talisman Lionel Messi when it comes to injuries.  Lionel Messi Fractures Right Arm, Out for Three Weeks! Barcelona’s 4–2 Victory Over Sevilla Tarnished.

Muscle Injury ( Sep 22, 2016 – Oct 15, 2016)

Lionel Messi pulled up with a groin problem while playing for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid at Nou Camp. The Argentine international had faced similar problems while playing for his nation and the injury aggravated while on club duty. He missed 4 games for Barcelona and sat out of the game for 23 days. Barcelona was also criticised for the handling of Messi since the club medical staff knew of the groin injury he was carrying from the international break.

Medial Collateral Ligament Knee Injury ( Sep 28, 2015 – Nov 18, 2015)

Inside the opening minutes of the home game against Las Palmas, Lionel Messi suffered a torn medial collateral ligament knee injury. The incident happened as Messi cut inside to take a shot and went down in agony. He received treatment on the pitch from club doctors but after trying in vain to run off the injury, the little maestro had to leave the pitch. Barcelona released a statement confirming the injury and that the Argentine will be out for seven to eight week. Messi then missed nine games for the Catalonians and made a comeback to football after 51days. Lionel Messi’s Injury Puts Barcelona in Dilemma As Star Striker Faces Lengthy Spell on Sidelines

Torn Muscle Bundle ( Nov 11, 2013 – Jan 6, 2014)

Lionel Messi tore his muscle bundle in the femoral biceps of his left leg while playing for Barcelona against Real Betis. The incident happened in the first half of the game with Messi pulling up feeling his hamstring. The club doctors confirmed the tear after scans and put a time frame between four to six weeks for complete recovery. He went on to miss nine games for Barcelona and was out for 56 days with the muscle problem.

Hamstring Injury ( Sep 29, 2013 – Oct 18, 2013)

Lionel Messi scored and then pulled up his hamstring against Almeria just a few days prior to tearing muscle bundle. This injury prevented Messi from playing football for 19 days and although the assessment was of strain in the hamstring, it paved the way for further injuries in the area. Lionel Messi missed 2 games during this period.

Metatarsal Fracture ( Nov 13 2006 – Feb 8 2007)

The worst injury of Lionel Messi’s career happened towards the end of 2006 when he broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot that ruled him out of the game for 87 days. Then 19, the maestro received rough tackle from Real Zaragoza midfielders Alberto Zapater and Albert Celades and left the game in despair. After a surgery to fix the metatarsal, he made a comeback to the game after being unavailable for 18 games.

Hamstring Injury ( Mar 9, 2006 – May 18, 2006)

The first of the many hamstring troubles of Lionel Messi’s career occurred during the end of the 2005 season that also ruled him out of the Champions League final against Arsenal in Paris. During a Champions League fixture against Chelsea, Messi tore muscle fiber in his right thigh that sidelined him for 70 days and 16 games for Barcelona. He did manage to get fit in time for the 2006 World Cup though where he also scored a goal.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 23, 2018 07:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).