Mascherano injury blow for Barcelona
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
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FC Barcelona's Javier Mascherano will spend the next month and a half on the sidelines after the central defender tore a right knee ligament at Paris Saint-Germain FC.
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FC Barcelona will be without Javier Mascherano for the next six weeks after the central defender tore the internal lateral ligament in his right knee during Tuesday's 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw with Paris Saint-Germain FC.
The 28-year-old – who was due to be suspended for next week's quarter-final second leg against the French Ligue 1 leaders having been booked earlier – sustained the injury in the 84th minute of the Parc des Princes encounter. He joins defenders Carles Puyol (knee) and Adriano (hamstring) and forward Pedro Rodríguez (calf) in the Barcelona treatment room.
Barça have also confirmed they will continue to monitor the fitness of Lionel Messi after the talisman was substituted with a right hamstring problem at half-time in Paris. After initial tests on the side's return to Catalonia he was ruled out of Saturday's Liga meeting with RCD Mallorca.
