Football
Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondent 8y

'I don't want to fight with Barcelona' - Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza

Argentina coach Edgardo Bauza says he doesn't want a fight with Barcelona as he backtracked on comments blaming the Catalan club for Lionel Messi's injury.

A club vs. country storm has surfaced after Messi picked up his second groin problem in less than a month during his side's draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

Barca have since revealed he'll be out for three weeks, meaning he's expected to miss his country's World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru in October. The coach is understandably disappointed to be denied the services of his best player and had complained in an interview with Fox Sports the Blaugrana "don't take care of Messi very well" but he's now said his intention was never to start a fight.

"I want to clarify that I don't want to fight with Barcelona," he explained in an interview with Diario Sport on Friday. "It's the opposite. We want to work together for the good of Messi, who's not just any old player.

"What I said was in a context which has not been reflected. I said that everyone is responsible for taking care of Messi."

Messi missed Argentina's draw with Venezuela earlier this month injured but he was able to return to action for Barca the following weekend against Alaves.

Ex-Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has added his voice to the row, claiming there's no club in the world who could take better care of his former teammate.

In contrast to the opinion offered by Bauza, the Chelsea player pointed out that the Catalan club have managed Messi's career well for more than a decade now.

"I think the club [Barcelona] are the only club in the world who can take care of Messi," he told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.

"They have done so in recent years. They have always taken care of him. It's the best club for him. I spoke to him [on Wednesday]. He was fine. It's a pity [he is injured], but to be honest he didn't seem worried."

Sport report that Messi will spend the next 10 days resting, which will be followed by a week of physiotherapy.

The target is for the 29-year-old to be back for the league game against Deportivo La Coruna on Oct. 15, with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City due at Camp Nou four days later.

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