Lionel Messi OUT of El Clasico as injury sidelines Barcelona star for three weeks

Lionel Messi will be out for around three weeks with a small fracture in his right arm, Barcelona have confirmed.

Having assisted Philippe Coutinho and also scored himself in the early stages of Barca’s 4-2 win over Sevilla at Camp Nou on Saturday, the Argentine attacker fell awkwardly after 15 minutes and was unable to continue despite receiving treatment to his elbow and being bandaged up by the club’s medical staff.

He was eventually replaced by Ousmane Dembele and sent to hospital for tests, but Barca confirmed fans’ fears later on Saturday.

“Tests carried out on the first team player Leo Messi have confirmed that he has a fracture of the radial bone in his right arm,” the club said in a statement. “He will be out for approximately three weeks.”

That means Messi will miss the Champions League clash at home to Inter Milan on Wednesday, as well as the Clasico against Real Madrid in La Liga at Camp Nou on Sunday.

He is also likely to be out of the league games against Rayo Vallecano and Betis, plus the trip to face Inter in Milan on November 6th. Barca will hope to have him back for their visit to Atletico Madrid in La Liga on November 24th.