Lionel Messi Reportedly Out for Real Madrid vs. Barcelona El Clasico Match

Barcelona star Lionel Messi will not be fit to face Real Madrid on Nov. 21 at the Santiago Bernabeu, according to reports.

The forward has been sidelined with a knee problem since the end of September, missing the Blaugrana’s last seven games. It was expected he would return for the clash with their bitter rivals in just under three weeks' time, but according to Javier Miguel of Sport, his recovery will take longer than initially anticipated.

“Unfortunately, things have slowed up and the player still doesn’t have sufficient strength in his knee to begin running continuously,” revealed Miguel on Monday. “That’s to say, he doesn’t have enough time to be back in shape for the Madrid match.”

Miguel writes that Messi “has not even began to run yet,” and as such, “it will be another three [or] four weeks until he’s back on the pitch.”

Naturally, this will be a major blow for the Blaugrana. Messi is a player who has so often come to the fore in El Clasico clashes and seems to raise his game when up against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, Messi is not definitely out of the game against Real quite yet:

Taking three points from the capital will be a huge challenge for Barcelona without their talisman.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

As we can see here, courtesy of Squawka Football, despite his recent fitness issues, Messi remains the joint-top scorer in European football in 2015:

According to manager Luis Enrique, the injury to Messi has helped the rest of the squad pull together in unison. 

“I never ask them to give more just because of injuries,” said the Barca boss, per Matthew Rogerson of Goal. “Everyone gives a little more but a player always wants to do his best. It's not because we are without a player that they play better. What happens is that there is more unity and everyone grows.”

JAVIER SORIANO/Getty Images

After some initial struggles to adapt without Messi, Barcelona are actually playing pretty well again, as Luis Suarez and Neymar have relished the additional responsibility placed upon them. The pair netted another goal apiece at the weekend against Getafe in a 2-0 win, keeping pace with Los Blancos at the summit.

The two players previously in Messi’s shadow at the Camp Nou have certainly come to life in recent weeks, per BBC Sport:

Nonetheless, as outstanding as Suarez and Neymar are, neither has a pedigree for impacting these titanic tussles against Real Madrid quite as often as Messi. So even though he might not have been match sharp or fully fit at the Bernabeu in his first game back, the Barcelona star's presence would have been galvanising for the team.

Thankfully for Barcelona, they have two of the world’s best forwards in sensational form, and that will serve them well going to the Bernabeu.

Messi, meanwhile, shouldn’t be too downhearted at missing the Clasico. The 28-year-old must ensure he’s in the best possible shape on returning, ready to help Barca to a strong finish to the 2015-16 term.