Lionel Messi Injury: Updates on Barcelona Star's Foot and Return

Lionel Messi played 90 minutes during Barcelona's wins over Celta Vigo and Almeria, but suggestions continue that the Argentinian star's foot isn't right.

Continue for updates.

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Mascherano: 'Leo is Doing a Lot Better'

Friday, April 10

Javier Mascherano, Messi's club and international colleague, believes the player is recovering, reported by Marca's Xavi Hernandez: "Leo is doing a lot better. He benefited from not playing for Argentina so he could make the best possible recovery. They were friendlies and it wasn't worth it."

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Messi Plays Through Almeria Test

Wednesday, April 8

According to Luis Rojo of Marca, Messi had "not completely got over the discomfort in his right foot" prior to facing Almeria.

The Barcelona star is apparently wearing old boots that contain a cushioned section to help alleviate the pain. The piece suggests that Adidas are fashioning a new pair that will prevent chafing and subsequent issues with the ongoing foot problem.

Rojo also claims that Messi has no desire to be withdrawn from the team regardless of how serious the knock is:

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The Barcelona player simply does not want to stop and has no desire to be rested despite the huge number of minutes that he has accumulated so far this season. Only one other forward, Southampton's Graziano Pelle, has played more in Europe's top five leagues, a clear indication of the Argentine's sustained commitment to the cause. Incidentally, Cristiano Ronaldo comes in at sixteenth in the ranking.

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Balague: Messi Still in Pain

Tuesday, April 7

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague believes Messi is struggling to shift the injury. Balague spoke on Sky Sports' Revista de La Liga:

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He has a problem which gives him pain. For two weeks he was having trainers instead of boots (in training), now he has boots that are not as tight on his foot. He has something on the side of his foot, which gives him pain.

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Balague continued: "He will continue playing and in Spain (they say) nothing is broken, nothing serious, but nothing seems to be going."

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Messi Continues Full Training

Saturday, April 4

Prior to facing Celta Vigo, Barcelona noted that Messi practiced in full. 

Marca provided an image of the swelling that continues to cause Messi discomfort:

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Messi Injury Is Minor

Wednesday, April 1

According to Marca, the Blaugrana star's problem is not serious:

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Although it is not yet clear whether Leo Messi will feature in Sunday's match at the Balaídos stadium against Celta, one thing is not in question: he does not have a serious injury. ... When MARCA contacted Leo's management they told us, "If he had a bad injury he would have gone straight back to Barcelona, but it is true it is painful for him. When he gets back they will do tests on him to evaluate his condition."

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National team boss Gerardo Martino confirmed that the Albiceleste gave Messi every chance to feature against Ecuador, but it was too painful for him to put his boots on ahead of the contest, per Alex Chick of Eurosport:

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We waited for Messi until the end but he wasn't able to go. He had a hard time putting his boots on. His foot hurts a lot.

I'd like to offer apologies to the people who came here eager to see him.

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According to the piece, the Argentina star has been carrying the knock since Barcelona's clash with Manchester City in the Champions League.

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Messi Misses Match vs. El Salvador with Foot Injury

Sunday, March 29

Martino updated Messi's status after the El Salvador fixture, saying that the Barcelona star had a swollen foot, via Sport:

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"Messi didn't play because his foot was swollen," the former Barca coach stated. 

"He tried [to prove his fitness] in training, but was not able to do so. So it was decided that he wouldn't play."

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The four-time Ballon d'Or winner is Barcelona's leading scorer in La Liga, per WhoScored.com, and the Argentina international has been one of the bright lights during the 2014-15 campaign.

New manager Luis Enrique struggled to find the perfect formation and system for his squad earlier in the season, and star summer signing Luis Suarez didn't hit the ground running, only adding to the difficult start to the campaign.

The Catalans have turned things around since then, however, and are currently one of the hottest teams in Europe.

The Blaugrana are in the thick of the La Liga title race, and losing Messi for an extended period of time will be a big blow to their chances. The Catalans have plenty of attacking depth, but there are only a handful of players in the world who can impact a match the way Messi does.

The 27-year-old star is one of the sport's best pure scorers, but as shared by WhoScored.com, he's also one of the best at creating for others:

Barcelona fans will be pleased to see the club's biggest star is fit for now, as a serious injury for the prolific Messi would be a devastating blow at this point.