Lionel Messi, who suffered a fracture on his right arm during Barcelona's La Liga match against Sevilla, is expected to be out for three weeks. Barcelona beat Sevilla 4-2 on Saturday, but the celebrations were cut short when Messi left the field in the 26th minute after sustaining the injury.
The Argentine star scored Barcelona's second goal in the 12th minute, but went down after a collision with Sevilla's Franco Vazquez, and suffered a radial fracture after his elbow took the weight of his fall.
In a statement, Barcelona said tests have confirmed that Messi has a fracture of the radial bone, and will be out for three weeks at least. Radial fractures are common and account for a third of all elbow fractures.
Given that the recovery time set aside is three weeks, here are the matches that Messi is likely to miss:
vs Inter Milan (Oct 25, Champions League)
The first big game Messi is likely to miss is against a rejuvenated Inter Milan side in the CL group stage. Inter recently got the better of their city rivals, AC Milan, in the local derby and is currently third in Serie A. It was a Messi masterclass that propelled Barca past a dangerous Tottenham in his club's last Champions League outing. Inter do not pose as much of a threat as Tottenham, but could still pull off an upset.
vs Real Madrid (Oct 28, La Liga)
Life after Cristiano Ronaldo has indeed proved to be difficult for Real Madrid, who are struggling in both the Champions League and La Liga. Despite Real's rough start to the season, there is no underestimating the European champions. This game against Barca will be the first Clasico since 2007 to not feature either Messi or Ronaldo. Messi's absence will now make it an even contest, and could prove to be the deciding factor.
vs Cultural Leonesa (Nov 1, Copa Del Rey)
Barcelona will begin their Copa Del Rey title defence with a two-legged fixture against a third division Spanish side. This is a game in which Barcelona wouldn't really miss Messi's presence, considering he would have made way for the bench warmers, anyway.
vs Rayo Vallecano (Nov 4, La Liga)
This Madrid side are scraping the bottom of La Liga, and the game should, in all probability, be a walk in the park for Barcelona. It will be another fixture in which Messi would have played a bit-part role, with the second Inter game just a few days away. Any slip up for Barca, though, could cost heavily, as there are several teams that are hot on their heels at the top of the table.
vs Inter Milan (Nov 7, Champions League)
If Messi is still not back in time for the return fixture against Inter Milan, it might turn out to be a tricky fixture for Ernesto Valverde's men. This game will be played in Milan and if Barca lose both their games to Inter, their progression to the next stage could take a hit, as there is another match against Tottenham awaiting the Catalans.
