Lionel Messi, who is currently in Argentina with his family during the festive period, won’t be available for the game against Eibar as the 33-year-old has been given extra time off by the club to nurse his right ankle. The Barcelona skipper returned to Argentina last week after defeating Real Valladolid 3-0 in the league and has been granted permission to take an extended leave. Lionel Messi Shares Heartfelt Note on Instagram After Breaking Pele’s All-Time Record of Most Goals for Single Club.

‘Lionel Messi, is completing the treatment for his right ankle, and is expected to return to training after the FC Barcelona v SD Eibar match,’ Barcelona said in an official statement released on December 27.

See Statement

The Barcelona skipper will return for the weekend game against Huesca at the Estadio El Alcoraz stadium on Sunday. This will be the third time over the last few months that the Argentine has been rested by the club. He also sat out the trips to Dynamo Kiev and Ferencvaros in the Champions League.

Lionel Messi has played a total of 18 games, scoring 10 goals. In his previous appearance, the Argentina star surpassed Pelé as the top scorer with a single club, scoring in the 3-0 win over Valladolid and taking his tally as a Barcelona player to 644 goals.

Barcelona, after a poor start to the season, look to be getting back in form, winning three of their previous four games in La Liga. The Blaugranas are now just two points off the Champions League places, with a game in hand and a win over Eibar could see them move into the top four.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 27, 2020 10:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).