Rafa to return!

[bobkat]

This is excellent news! Looks like the back 4 will again be whole against AC Milan.

I think one of the plagues against barca scoring in the last month or so has been a lack of confidence in the back 4. This has kept midfielders thinking about defense as much as offense. While this isn't a bad thing always, it can stunt creativity coming out of the middle third into the attacking third.

Does anyone know if Messi is completely cleared for the 18th against milan?

http://www.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,1-1218362,00.html

I would have posted in CL section - but there isn't one - or I missed it.

[lasensacion]

I heard from the spanish commentators that Messi was good to go as of the weekend, but they want to keep him a little longer to avoid recurring injuries...... i hope he is back for the Villareal game.

[akd]

No. Messi is not fit to play against Villareal and will probably not play against Milan on the first leg :(

[Polarized]

No. Messi is not fit to play against Villareal and will probably not play against Milan on the first leg :(

weak :(

i know barca have a ton of great players to watch but its just not the same without messi :(

[lpkor]

Its true, Messi re-injured his leg today in practice, I just read all about it. elmundodeportivo.es

[chriswvtr]

Phew, thought you meant Benitez was going back to Spain from the title :o

[bobkat]

Yea it looks like the media is now reporting that Messi will miss BOTH legs of the milan tie, how distressing.

[barcalove]

ya its rather upsetting... he was doing well and then he strained the injury in training. damn damn damn. reports havent ruled him out of both legs as yet.. definitely out of the villarreal match, possibly the 1st leg and who knows for the 2nd leg. if we make it past milan we can take solace in the fact that messi will be fit for the final :)

[kidujp]

That's what i heard too.. just the Villarreal match and probably the first leg...haven't heard anuthing abt the second leg.
But anyway, it's bad news.

[gonekais]

Phew, thought you meant Benitez was going back to Spain from the title :o
Haha yeah me too!

[deviant]

Not only that but Rafa and Thiago are out aswell

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is a serious doubt for next week's Champions League semi-final, first leg against AC Milan after being ruled out of Friday's Primera Liga match against Villarreal.

The teenage Argentine international has been out of action since the beginning of March when he tore a thigh muscle during the second leg of his side's 3-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea, but was expected to have made a recovery ready for the Milan match.

Barcelona medical staff said that the 18-year-old had experienced problems with the injured leg while training on Tuesday.

"Messi felt pain and serious muscle fatigue in the injured area during the final stages of his treatment," the club said on its website on Wednesday.

"Treatment will continue until the player can rejoin the group without any recurrence of the symptoms."

Messi has been one of Barca's most exciting and dynamic players this season but the latest injury set-back means that Sweden striker Henrik Larsson is likely to retain his place in the starting lineup for the Milan match.

Mexican defender Rafael Marquez and midfielder Thiago Motta are also doubtful for Tuesday's game at the San Siro. Both players are suffering from thigh muscle

[barcalove]

no i've read that rafa will be fit for milan. thats his goal anyway.. ronnie is actually not sure he will play on friday.. he hurt himself against benfica and has been recovering since.

[jr!]

Good to see I'm not the only one....

Phew, thought you meant Benitez was going back to Spain from the title :o

[akd]

Olé of Argentina says that Messi will probably be out for 1 month. That will mean that he "might" be fit to play the UEFA Champions League Final match if Barca qualify and if not, then he will most likely reappear in the friendly international game vs. Ghana on May 30 (I believe) or in the first game of the WC on June 10. What I don't completely understand is if Dr. Villani (of the Argentine NT) wants him out for a month because he is looking after the interests of the NT, or if Messi is really fit to come back in the return leg against Milan in 2 weeks. I am personally inclined to believe the latter.

[bobkat]

well i don't think the NT doctor is going to take senority over the barca medical staff, right? I've read in the media both that messi will be out for both legs of semis and that he will be out for only the first leg. I suspect he will be out for both legs though, especially if the first leg goes well. Here is the skysports link saying messi is out for both milan legs.

http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=379098&CPID=23&clid=178&lid=10&title=Messi+out+of+both+legs

[kidujp]

I read today that Argentine doctors saying Messi won't play any other match except the CL final ...and Barca doctors saying that it's not true but he'll be out of both legs of the milan tie.

Argentine team needs him for the WC and will put pressure on Barca not to play him except in the finals of CL...and the fact is we really don't need him for anything except the CL matches and if he's not fit to play against Milan, we really don't need to risk him in any other matches. So my guess is, we probably won't see him in a game this season except maybe CL finals - if at all.