Test rules out muscle injury for Messi after initial fears
BARCA BREATHE SIGH OF RELIEF AFTER STAR WAS REPLACED AT HALF-TIME
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi did not sustain a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 6-0 La Liga victory at home to Athletic Bilbao as initially feared, tests showed on Monday.
Messi, who scored Barca’s opening goal from the penalty spot, was replaced at half-time and coach Luis Enrique told a news conference the decision had been taken as a precaution.
“Tests conducted this morning on first-team player Lionel Messi have ruled out a hamstring injury in the right leg and he is merely suffering some mild discomfort,” Barca said in the statement on their website (www. fcbarcelona.es).
The Spanish champions did and European not say if the FIFA Ballon d’Or holder would be available for Wednesday’s King’s Cup quarter-final, first leg at Bilbao.
Messi missed two months late last year with a knee injury but has looked close to his best in recent weeks.
Barca’s Spain fullback Jordi Alba also had to come off in the second half on Sunday after damaging a thigh muscle and medical staff said he would be out for around 10 days.
Real Madrid’s handsome victory was also overshadowed by injury, after what looked like the recurrence of a calf problem for Gareth Bale, which kept him out for a month earlier this season.
Bale had scored his 11th goal in eight games in the 5-1 win over Sporting Gijon.
Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo also scored twice each in the first half before Bale picked up a knock in a collision with teammate James Rodriguez.
Real have now scored 35 goals in six games at home since losing 4-0 to Barcelona in November. “We played very well in the firsthalf. We were concentrated and up for the game from the start. We prepared well and are happy with how the match went,” said boss Zinedine Zidane.
Not too bad
“Karim just has a knock, which isn’t so bad. Gareth is a little more complicated because it is his calf and in his left leg which is a problem.
“He will have a scan and we hope it is nothing serious.”
Atletico maintained their title challenge as a rock-solid defensive display and Griezmann’s goals were again the keys for Diego Simeone’s men. Jan Oblak ensured a 14th clean sheet in 20 games this season with two vital early saves before Filipe Luis fired home his first goal since returning to the club in July to give the visitors a half-time lead. And with Las Palmas pushing for an equaliser, Koke played in Griezmann twice to finish in the final quarter to take his tally for the season to 18.
Gary Neville’s winless streak as Valencia boss in La Liga stretched to six games in a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to relegation threatened Rayo Vallecano. Valencia twice had to come from behind as Alvaro Negredo’s sensational strike from just inside the Rayo half and Paco Alcacer’s late equaliser cancelled out goals from Jozabed and Diego Llorente.