FILE – In this Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020 file photo, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Eibar at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. panish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Saturday, May 23, 2020 that the soccer league in Spain will be allowed to resume from June 8. While the top tier, La Liga, can play from this date, it has already said it wants to resume play on June 12. It is unclear when the first games will be held. There has been no play in the top tier since March 12 due to the coronavirus crisis. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort, File)
Lionel Messi has sustained a “minor” thigh injury, but Barcelona remain confident he will be fit for the team’s first game back against Mallorca on June 13, the club said on Friday.
Messi has not trained with the rest of the squad since Tuesday after working separately in the gym on both Wednesday and Friday, while on Thursday all the players were given the day off.
Barcelona said Messi should return to training “in a few days’ time”, but his absence raises doubts over his fitness ahead of the trip to Mallorca.
Like all La Liga teams, Barca will have had only 10 days to train together when competitive matches resume on June 11, following the three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Leo Messi has a minor right quadriceps injury and trained in isolation, doing specific exercises to avoid unnecessary risks with just eight days remaining before Barca finally get back to playing matches,” a club statement read.
“He should be able to rejoin his team-mates in a few days’ time.”
Messi has endured an injury-interrupted season. The 32-year-old was out for six weeks between August and September with a calf injury and then at the end of September missed another week with a problem in his left thigh.
But after regaining fitness, Messi quickly found form, scoring 24 goals in 31 appearances so far this term to help Barcelona sit two points clear at the top of La Liga.
Barca added the team will train on the pitch at Camp Nou on Saturday as coach Quique Setien “works to get his players ready for the return to football, but with games being played behind closed doors.”