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Lionel Messi injury: Barcelona scared striker could miss Real Madrid showdown
LIONEL MESSI is at risk of missing Barcelona’s Copa del Rey clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Barcelona face Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final showdown next week.
Messi is Barcelona’s talismanic striker who has caused Real players plenty of misery down the years.
But this Clasico may be without both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - who was sold to Juventus in the summer.
That’s because the Argentine suffered a worrying injury in Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Valencia on Saturday.
Messi scored twice in the clash as Barca came from two goals down to draw at the Nou Camp.
But he went down with a problem to his right thigh soon after his second goal.
He lasted the full 90 minutes but Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde after the game conceded the Argentine may not make the Real clash.
"I imagine that he can't be too bad," said Valverde.
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"We'll wait to see what the doctors say, then evaluate things based on that."
An update on Messi’s condition is expected today as Valverde now turns his attention to Real.
The Nou Camp club have already humbled Real once this season - stuffing them 5-1 back in October.
Lionel Messi missed that game through injury as well but Barca had no problem dismantling their rivals.
The defeat led to Julen Lopetegui’s sacking and Santiago Solari is now in charge of Los Blancos.
The Copa del Rey may be Solari’s best chance of a trophy this season, with Real already out of the La Liga title race.
They also face a tricky Champions League last-16 tie with Ajax later this spring.
Real are three-time defending champions of the Champions League but have looked out of sorts in Europe this season.