“A last-minute change to the FC Barcelona squad. Leo Messi has withdrawn for personal reasons and Yerry Mina takes his place,” said the statement on the club’s official website (www.fcbarcelona.com)

Messi later added on his Instagram account: “Welcome Ciro! Thanks to God everything went perfectly. His mother and he are doing really well. We are very happy.”

It is the first time this season that Messi, La Liga’s top scorer with 24 goals, has not been included in the matchday squad for a league game. He has started 26 of Barca’s 27 games, while he came off the bench against Espanyol on Feb. 4.

Barca lead the Liga standings on 69 points, enjoying an eight-point lead over nearest challengers Atletico

Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!

Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!

Click here for iOS

Click here for Android