Messi may miss next game after minor injury
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi is a doubt for Barcelona’s next Spanish league match at Real Betis on Sunday after hurting his left knee in the Champions League.
The Argentine needs only one goal to match Gerd Mueller’s 40-year-old record of 85 goals in a single year. Instead of making history on Wednesday, Messi was carried off with a bruised left knee after colliding with the Benfica goalkeeper.
Messi said yesterday he was doubtful for the trip to play a Betis side that has climbed into fourth place after winning its last two games, including a victory over Real Madrid.
“I feel fine. Luckily it was only a knock,” Messi said after doing gym work alone while his teammates practised. “I feel much better than yesterday. I don’t know if I will be there on Sunday. It depends on how (my knee) progresses.”
Madrid faces what could be a tougher-than-expected test at Valladolid on Saturday.
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova defended his decision to send on Messi with 30 minutes to go even when his team didn’t need a result and was fielding youth team players.
“We had talked about the possibility of him playing half an hour,” Vilanova said. “(Messi) is a player who likes to play. We didn’t do it for the record like everyone is talking about. If we had wanted him to get the record, he would have played against Alaves (in the Copa del Rey) and the whole game (against Benfica).”
Vilanova said that playing 30 minutes in the match was the equivalent of “a good practice session.”
“If we were worried about Messi getting injured, we would take him out of any game we are winning 3-0, and we never do that,” Vilanova said. “If I had to do it again, I would make the same decision.”
Under its first-year coach, Barcelona has established a Spanish league record for a best start to the season with 13 wins and a draw.
Messi’s league-high 21 goals have played a major part in setting that milestone. The 25-year-old Argentina international hasn’t missed a game because of injury since September 2010.
Betis has won three of its last four games at Benito Villamarin Stadium.
Led by striker Ruben Castro and midfielder Benat Etxebarria, Betis’ attacking approach always leads to goals, for one team or the other. Only three teams have scored more than Betis’ 23, and only three teams have conceded more than Betis’ 24.
