The Argentine attacker is sidelined with the knee ligament injury he suffered against Las Palmas on September 26 – but he could yet feature against Real Madrid on November 21
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has stepped up his recovery ahead of the Clasico clash against Real Madrid by starting ball work on Tuesday, Goal can confirm.
Messi lasted only nine minutes in the Liga clash against Las Palmas at Camp Nou on September 26, with tests later confirming he would miss around two months with an injury to his knee ligaments.
That meant he would face a race against time to be back for the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu on November 21, but both Luis Enrique and Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu have insisted his recovery is on schedule and the four-time Ballon d’Or winner moved a step closer to a return as he began ball work with his team-mates on Tuesday.
The Argentine attacker has been sidelined for 45 days, but he can now use the current international break to build up his fitness as he hopes to be back for the top-of-the-table clash with Barca’s fierce rivals Real later this month.
It is still too early to say whether he will be able to feature in that one or even start at the Bernabeu, but his return to ball work on Tuesday suggests there is a good chance he will play some part in the game.
Barca have lost only once in Messi’s enforced absence and lead La Liga by three points after they beat Villarreal on Sunday Madrid lost to Sevilla later that evening.
Source: goal.com
