Football
ESPN staff 7y

Barcelona can cope with Lionel Messi's injury absence - Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta has backed Barcelona to carry on without injured superstar Lionel Messi.

Messi was taken off with a groin injury in Wednesday's 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid, and is expected to miss the next three weeks as he recovers.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been an irreplaceable piece at the Camp Nou, helping the club to four Champions League titles and eight La Liga crowns since debuting in 2004.

However, Iniesta says the Blaugrana can cope in his absence by coming together as a team.

"The team is stronger with Messi than without him, but it is the squad as a whole that wins titles," Iniesta said at an event to promote his new book.

"We all wish he could play these next few games, but unforeseen circumstances do happen."

In Messi's absence, Barca face three away games, with trips to Sporting Gijon, Borussia Monchengladbach and Celta Vigo coming up before October's international break.

The 29-year-old is also expected to miss Argentina's World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay on Oct. 6 and 11.

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