Lionel Messi leaves Barcelona’s game with injury in second half

Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid was an expectedly tightly-contested matchup, but the 1-1 draw was marred by an injury to the biggest superstar of the game – Lionel Messi.

Enrique admitted it would be “difficult to protect” Messi with the games coming thick and fast for Barcelona and with Argentina no doubt desperate to have him involved in next month’s World Cup qualifiers.

The Argentine could return for Barca’s Champions League tie with Manchester City on 19 October.

Ivan Rakitic had sent Barcelona, who remain third in the table, into a 41st-minute lead, but Atletico levelled just past the hour through Angel Correa as Diego Simeone’s side continued their unbeaten start.

Barca boss Luis Enrique spoke to the Spanish media about the loss of their key man: ‘Losing Messi is a loss to us and a loss to football.

“It is clear we are stronger with Messi but without him we are strong too so we must focus on that”.

Atletico seemed intent on going for Barcelona in the minutes after the equaliser, but it was the home side that were dominating in the latter stages and Neymar brought a brilliant save from Oblak after skinning Juanfran 10 minutes from time. It’s what we want to try to do: train, play and win.

Barca won three of their four meetings with Atleti last season 2-1 and they pushed hard for a late victor, but Diego Simeone’s side kept them at bay with relative ease in the closing stages to stay just a point behind in the table, and four adrift of Madrid.

Suarez, though, insisted he and the Brazilian can step up as they did without Messi last season.

Although the injury leaves Barcelona facing the hard task of playing without the star midfielder, it has no need to panic.

“When there are 11 guys in the area, co-ordinated like that, it takes a lot out of us to break them down”, he said in quotes reported by Marca. At 29, Messi still has plenty left in his tank, but his heavy schedule in recent years could be taking a toll.

“You can’t make a show of things every time something happens”.

Gerard Pique came agonisingly close to handing the hosts the lead in the last few minutes, but his header at goal went inches past the post after Neymar swung in the free kick.

Until yesterday, he was the presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal in Kisumu.