Lionel Messi’s club team mates set to entertain the struggling Islanders but without the World Player of the Year as Barcelona’s leading goalscorer will miss Saturday’s clash against Real Mallorca.
Lionel Messi has a hamstring strain in Champions League 2-2 draw at Paris St Germain and will miss the Primera Division match against Mallorca at Camp Nou. Barca players are looking to defend their 13-point lead over Real Madrid who are sitting at second position.
Fullback Daniel Alves said that Lionel Messi’s absence was a chance for other players to show their skills of winning the match without him.
“The fact that we don’t have him is an incentive to prove to everyone that we have enough quality to compete without him.” Alves said on Wednesday.
In this season, Lionel Messi netted 43 of Barcelona’s 90 goals in La Liga and 8 of 17 in the Champions League in addition to providing13 assists in the two events. The Argentine striker is going to miss Barca’s match for the first time since November 2009 when he was out for a week due to injury. Then he missed a Champions League Group F home clash against Inter Milan which Barca won 2-0.