Soccer: FC Barcelona Superstar Lionel Messi to Undergo Kidney Surgery
The 2015 Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi suffered a minor setback after it was announced that the 28-year-old forward would undergo a medical procedure to address his kidney problems.
Barcelona issued the statement regarding the status of Messi, though it seems that the treatment is unlikely to keep him out of action for long. In fact, Messi is expected to be around when his team faces Valencia.
Messi was sidelined during the Club World Cup semifinals last December and was not in training when his kidney issues cropped up once more.
The Argentine player was scheduled to undergo treatment at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona where he will receive shock wave lithotripsy, which will break the stones into tiny particles.
Though FC Barcelona believed that Messi could be up and ready by Wednesday, it is likely that he will be sitting out that game against Valencia, with the team holding a 7-0 edge from the first leg.
With Messi out, all eyes will be on the two others stars of Barcelona – Neymar and Luis Suarez. The two have proven that they were capable of holding fort when Messi had previously gone down due to a knee injury.
Though Messi is the primary attacking threat for Barca, Neymar and Suarez are seen as more than enough to cover up for the Argentine player until he is ready to take the field once more.
As far as filling up the void of Messi temporarily, manager Luis Enrique is not likely to see it as a big problem.
Other players who could be tasked to fill in for Messi include Munir El Haddadi and Arda Turan, both proven players that Barcelona can turn to for the meantime, as mentioned via the Bleacher Report.
The wards of Enrique seem to be abundant, with the team composed of top international stars that could cover up the void left by the 2015 Ballon d’Or world’s best.
It could also serve as a grand opportunity for Neymar and Suarez to make a serious run for top trophies as they try to step up in place of their fallen comrade.
Neymar’s name has been in the headlines recently, tied up with a tax evasion case and transfer talk rumors.
The transfer talk included an alleged £140 million offer made by Manchester United on the Brazilian star last summer.
Regardless, it doesn’t look like the Brazilian captain is heading anywhere, with the young forward reportedly content being in Barcelona per Sky Sports.
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