Messi to Miss Barcelona USA Tour Due to Calf Injury
Barcelona’s captain, Lionel Messi, is set to miss the club’s pre-season tour to the USA after suffering a calf injury during his first training session back from the Copa America break.
Messi was benched on Sunday, 4 August, as Barca beat Arsenal 2-1 to lift the Joan Gamper trophy at Camp Nou.
The Catalan giants confirmed the news in a statement on their official websites on Monday, 5 August, noting that the 32-year-old Argentine forward has a Grade 1 calf strain.
The statement reads: “First team player Leo Messi, who had returned from his summer break for training on Monday, withdrew from the session due to discomfort in his right leg. Tests carried out have diagnosed a Grade 1 calf strain for the Argentine.”
The Spanish Champions further ruled Messi out of the upcoming pre-season games against Napoli, saying, “Messi will remain in Barcelona and will not travel to the USA for the club’s tour. His availability to come back to action will be dictated by his recovery from the injury.”
The La Liga 2019/20 season is expected to kick off on 15 August – with Barcelona taking a trip to Athletic Club – and If Messi is unavailable, it would be a huge blow for Ernesto Valverde’s pursuit of another Spanish title.
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