Lionel Messi's Barcelona teammates will take on the rare challenge of coping without their World Player of the Year when the Primera Liga leaders host relegation-threatened Real Mallorca on Saturday.
The Argentinian forward damaged a hamstring in Tuesday's 2-2 Champions League draw at Paris Saint-Germain and has been ruled out of the clash at Camp Nou, where Barca will seek to protect their 13-point lead over second-place Real Madrid.
Messi's importance to the Catalan giants extends beyond his goal-scoring exploits.
As well as netting 43 of Barca's 90 goals in La Liga and eight of 17 in the Champions League this season, he has provided a total of 13 assists in the two competitions, second only to Andres Iniesta, who has one more.
The last time Barca lost Messi to injury was in November 2009, when he was out for a week and missed a Champions League Group F game at home to Inter Milan, which Barca won 2-0.
It is still unclear how long he will be sidelined and Barca have not ruled him out of Wednesday's return leg against PSG.
Right-back Daniel Alves, who provided the exquisite pass that sent Messi clear to score on Tuesday, said the Argentine's absence was a chance for other players in the squad to step up.
"The fact that we don't have him is an incentive to prove to everyone that we have enough quality to compete without him and show that we can do it just as well as when he's here," Alves said.
As well as dealing with Messi's absence, coach Tito Vilanova will need to reshuffle his defence for Mallorca's visit, since the injured trio of Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Adriano remain unavailable.
Vilanova, who returned to Spain at the end of last month after cancer treatment in New York, may opt to drop Sergio Busquets or Alex Song back from midfield to partner Gerard Pique, or deploy 22-year-old youth-team product Marc Bartra.
Alves has also played at centre-back in the past and offered his services if required.
"If I remember correctly, I played in that position with Guardiola when we played a back line of three," he said.
"It's easy for me to adapt. If I'm asked to attack, then I attack; if I'm asked to defend, then I defend, and if I'm asked to do both, I do my best."
With Champions League games to negotiate during the week, Barca, Real and Malaga are all playing on Saturday. Real host mid-table Levante, while Malaga can climb above Real Sociedad into fourth.
France: Marseille's Joey Barton in trouble for offensive tweet
Joey Barton has been summoned by the French football federation’s Ethics Committee after the Marseille midfielder called Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender Thiago Silva an “overweight ladyboy” on Twitter.
"Joey Barton has been summoned by the Ethics Committee and will be heard on April 15,” committee president Laurent Davenas told Reuters by telephone on Thursday.
Barton, who has more than two million followers on the micro-blogging site, has been involved in a spat with Silva this week following disparaging comments the Briton made about some of the PSG player’s international teammates.
PSG threatened action against Barton on Wednesday after the Marseille midfielder likened Silva to a transsexual and called him an “overweight ladyboy” on his Twitter feed. Silva has not responded on Twitter.
Barton's tweet caused a stir in French media, making the front page of sports daily L'Equipe which asked: "That is British humour?"
Marseille have apologised to Thiago Silva and PSG on behalf of Barton. “Olympique Marseille and Joey Barton wish to apologise to Thiago Silva and his club for the inappropriate comments the English player made on social media in the past 36 hours”, OM said in a statement on their website. “Olympique Marseille officials have asked Joey Barton to end the row between him and the Paris Brazilian defender. The OM midfielder has promised to end right now the publication of any invidious comment against Thiago Silva.”
Barton arrived in France on loan from Queens Park Rangers following a colourful career in England, during which he spent two-and-a-half months in prison for assault during a night out in Liverpool.
At the time of the attack, he was already on bail for attacking former Manchester City teammate Ousmane Dabo, a former France international, and he stubbed out a cigar in the eye of a youth-team player at the club in 2004.
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Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
