Messi may recover in time for second leg against PSG

Barcelona’s medical services have confirmed that Lionel Messi’s hamstring injury will keep him out of the weekend La Liga match against Mallorca, but could recover in time for the Champions League second leg quarterfinal against PSG. Barcelona’s official website said that his availability will ‘depend on how the injury progresses.’ [caption id=“attachment_684862” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Messi was substituted at halftime in the first leg after scoring his 57th goal of the season. Getty Images[/caption] However, Javier Mascherano is certainly out of the return leg. “Of course it will be a big loss if we lose Messi, the best player in the world,” assistant coach Jordi Roura said through an interpreter after the match. “But we have Cesc (Fabregas) and other options, so we are confident from that point of view.” Messi was substituted at halftime in the first leg after scoring his 57th goal of the season with a clinical finish in the 38th minute to put Barcelona up 1-0, drifting into the left side of the area unmarked to plant a low shot into the opposite corner past goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. Messi already had a bloodied left knee by then, and was seen on the sideline clutching the back of his right leg shortly after. Fabregas replaced him for the second half. Messi’s goal was his 59th in the Champions League, second to all-time leader Raul Gonzalez’s 71. With inputs from AP