Messi was rushed back, claims former Barcelona medic

The Argentina international is
facing up to eight weeks on the
sidelines with a hamstring tear,
after being blighted by thigh
problems last season
Barcelona's former chief medic, Jordi
Ardevol, believes that Lionel Messi 's
latest injury setback is the result of the
attacker's failure to take sufficient time
out to recover from last season's thigh
problems.
On Tuesday, the Blaugrana confirmed that
their star forward would be out of action
for up to two months with a hamstring
tear sustained in last weekend's win over
Betis.
It is the third time that Messi has been
sidelined this season and Ardevol believes
that his current problems are directly
related to the thigh injuries which
troubled him during the closing stages of
last term.
"After a player is injured, there is a period
in which the head stays with the injury
and that until the injury is completely
recovered and the sensations are normal,
you have to disengage the brain from the
muscle somehow," the doctor told
Esports Cope.
"The focus is on playing again and there is
a period in which the player does not
take it out of his head.
"During the break, after the injury late
last season, I believe that Leo should
have had a more specific plan.
"The feeling is that he was never entirely
clear, there have been some intermittent
periods of activity and mentally the
counter was not put back to '0'."
Consequently, Ardevol feels that
Barcelona should this time make sure that
Messi is fully fit before he sets foot back
on a football field.
"He should not come back until he is 100
per cent recovered," the medic declared.
"That is what I would do, although it is
very easy to say this when you are on the
outside.
"However, there are many factors that
influence things - the desire to play as
soon as possible, the team's needs, the
pressure in the environment both
sporting and commercially, with the
World Cup in sight.
"There are many things at the club to
manage so as to make it very
complicated.
"His recovery to full form? You have to
put the counter at '0'. With a necessary
rest period and with a specific training
programme required. Start from '0' so as
to return to optimal conditions."