Lionel Messi faces three weeks on the sidelines ahead of Manchester City’s visit to the Nou Camp in the Champions League after tearing a muscle in Barcelona’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.
Messi will miss his team's next two home games in La Liga as well as their visit to Borrusia Monchengladbach next Wednesday. He will stay in Barcelona during the international break and should return on October 15 against Deportivo. Four days later Pep Guardiola will be in town for the first of City’s double header with Barcelona in Champions League Group C.
‘Without Messi football loses but we have the squad to cope as we did when he was out last year,’ said Luis Enrique. City will hope the Barcelona forward, who has torn the abductor muscle in his right leg, returns rusty and not refreshed as they take on the Spanish champions pegged back here by an intense Atletico Madrid side who look ready to play a big part in the title race this season.
Diego Simeone has still never beaten Barcelona in the league, but he won’t let that spoil his journey back to the Spanish capital. This 1-1 draw was Barca at times at their brilliant best but it was also Atletico telling the world they're not going anywhere either.
Simeone’s team fell behind to a first half goal from Ivan Rakitic, but the game changed in the second half when Messi hobbled off and Angel Correa scored the equaliser. They might have taken all three points had Marc-Andre ter Stegen not tipped Diego Godin’s header just over his bar late on.
-DailyMail
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