Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde insists his side can cope with the loss of Lionel Messi after the star forward was ruled out of next week's El clasico with a fracture in his arm.
Messi will be sidelined for around three weeks, including the crunch clash with Real Madrid next Sunday, after falling awkwardly in the first half of Saturday's 4-2 win over Sevilla which sent Barcelona back to the top of LaLiga.
A Barcelona statement said: "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. He will be out for approximately three weeks."
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Messi had set up Philippe Coutinho's opener before scoring himself 12 minutes in to Saturday's match, but went off midway through the first half with the injury.
He is now set to miss two Champions League games against Inter Milan as well as the Clasico and LaLiga games against Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis.
"We know what he gives to us and what the opponents think when they see Leo on the field," Valverde said at a press conference.
"We must prepare ourselves and have the resources to cope without him, even if these are tough games.
"In the past we have had games without him and we have always tried to maintain our style."
"Messi's injury does not have to affect us mentally," Gerard Pique said. "We have a host of forwards who can lead the games for us."
Clement Lenglet added: "We can score without Leo, as we have shown tonight."
After Messi's exit, Luis Suarez added to Barcelona's lead from the penalty spot before a frantic finish which saw Pablo Sarabia pull a goal back for Sevilla, Ivan Rakitic volley in a fourth Barca goal and Luis Muriel score a stoppage-time consolation for the visitors.
In between all of that, Marc-Andre ter Stegen made two outstanding double saves to ensure Sevilla did not get themselves back into the game.
"It was a difficult end to the game for us with the goals they scored," Valverde said. "It is rare to see two double saves like this in the same game."
The victory saw Barcelona end a run of four domestic games without victory, and capitalise on defeat earlier in the day for Madrid. Valverde's side return to the top of LaLiga, one point clear of Alaves and two ahead of Sevilla.
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
