Lionel Messi Returns to Barcelona Training After Arm Injury

Lionel Messi has returned to training for Barcelona for the first time since fracturing his arm against Sevilla earlier this month.

The Argentinian has been sidelined since Oct. 20 after landing awkwardly on his right arm during the 4-2 win over Sevilla, but Barca shared a video of him running drills at their Ciutat Esportiva training ground on Wednesday:

Messi was ruled out for three weeks following the injury, so he'll be ahead of schedule if he's able to feature in Barcelona's trip to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. Failing that, Barca will be happy if Messi can take part in their match away at Inter Milan next Tuesday.

Their last game ahead of the next international break is a home tie against Real Betis on Nov. 11, while their first match after club football returns is against title rivals Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, where they'll be desperate to field their best XI.

The club have fared well in his absence so far, though, having eased to comfortable 2-0 and 5-1 wins against Inter and Real Madrid, respectively.

Given how the latter match went, it was perhaps a mercy for Real that Messi was not on the pitch, as Goal's Sam Lee noted:

Nevertheless, while Barcelona may have put some concerns to bed in terms of their overreliance on their talismanic No. 10, they'll be delighted to have him back in action again soon.

He's not only the team's biggest goal threat but also their chief creator and playmaker, too. Everything runs through Messi when he's on the pitch, and in turn he elevates the side as a whole.

The rest he'll have had during his absence may do him some good in keeping him fresh come the latter end of the season, but if Barca want their campaign to remain on track as they battle on multiple fronts, having him available as much as possible is crucial.