Argentina manager Tata Martino apologised to the fans who came out to see Barcelona’s Leo Messi, who was sidelined for their Ecuador friendly with an injured foot.
Leo Messi suffered the foot injury in Barcelona’s Champions League win over Manchester City two weeks ago and has been unable to participate in any of Argentina’s training sessions or friendlies over the international break.
While many believed that Messi was just being held out as a precaution, Argentina manager Tata Martino insists that the player is in so much pain from the inflammation that he can’t even put on his boot.
“We waited on Messi until the end, but he wasn’t fit to play against Ecuador. It’s hard for him to even put on his boots. His foot hurts a lot. He wasn’t in a condition to play. I apologise to the fans who came out to see him.”
Messi and Javier Mascherano left the team to travel back to Barcelona on Wednesday, where the 27-year-old will undergo a consultation and undergo treatment with the club’s medical staff to determine if La Liga’s leading goal-scorer will be fit to face Celta Vigo in Balaidos this weekend.
Barcelona cannot afford to lose Leo Messi to a lengthy layoff, as the forward has scored 22 goals in 2015 alone; five in the Copa del Rey and 17 in La Liga with 14 assists in those games.
The performances of Neymar and Luis Suarez have also improved due to Messi’s form and could suffer a set-back with the loss of the Argentine.