Barcelona’s Argentine attacking midfielder Lionel Messi faces missing his club’s crucial Champions League meeting with Inter Milan after picking up a thigh injury in Saturday’s draw with Athletic Bilbao, the club said on Sunday.
“First impressions with Messi are not good,” was how coach Josep Guardiola had reacted to the news overnight after his star man went off at the San Mames stadium with 15 minutes remaining, giving way to Bojan Krkic.
“We will see the extent of the problem, but I hope that it will be minor,” added Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
For Tuesday’s match with Inter at the Nou Camp Barca are already without the Italian side’s former striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has a leg strain.
In addition, central defender Eric Abidal and Yaya Toure are set to face a spell on the sidelines with swine flu.
Mexican defender Rafael Marquez is also showing swine flu symptoms and Barca were later to confirm if he is a further addition to the injury list.
“What is worrying me is how to get the players to recuperate. I need players who are fit,” said Guardiola.
“What can we do? Just stop? The fans have to understand that we will play with the players that are fit.”
With Barca held and Real Madrid now top of the league after edging Santander on Saturday the Catalan club are short on morale boosts a week ahead of the “Clasico” between the top two at the Nou Camp.
“Of course, it is better to play as leader, but it does not bother me for one second,” said Guardiola.
Facing a growing injury crisis, Barca now host Inter Milan on Tuesday knowing that defeat could let in Russia’s Rubin Kazan, who got an added boost at the weekend as they retained their domestic title.
Unbeaten Inter top the group a point clear of Barca and the Russians.
But the latter took four points off Barcelona – including a stunning success at the Nou Camp – and with both sides on five points with two games to play, it would be the Russian champions who would advance on the head-to-head rule in the event of the teams finishing level.
