Lionel Messi Carted Off Field with Knee Injury in Champions League Match

Lionel Messi is carted off the field after injuring his left knee on December 5, 2012, Barcelona. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Barcelona – Lionel Messi may have to wait longer than expected to surpass Gerd Mueller's record.

Instead of scoring his 85th goal of the year to tie Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals in a calendar year for club and country, Messi suffered a knee injury that could threaten the rest of his season.

Messi was taken off the field on a cart because of bone bruise to his left knee in Barcelona's 0-0 tie with Benfica in a Champions League game Wednesday night, while defending champion Chelsea failed to advance to the final 16 in the tournament.

With Barcelona already assured of advancing to the second round, Messi entered as a reserve in the 58th minute.

Messi's left knee collided with the right hand of Benfica's Artur as the Argentine star ran onto Gerard Pique's long pass and tried to round the goalkeeper in the 85th minute. Messi took a left-footed shot from an angle, then fell to the field in pain. He rolled onto his back and held the knee, then was loaded onto a cart.

"It's a bruise, which doctors have been having a look at," Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said. "We now have to wait for the results of tests, but the feeling is that it isn't more serious than a knock."

Barcelona later tweeted that tests confirmed Messi has a bruised bone on the outside of his left knee.

A three-time FIFA Player of the Year, Messi has 84 goals for Barcelona and Argentina this year, one shy of Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals in a calendar year for club and country.

"Had we been worried just about the record we would have played Messi right from the beginning," Vilanova said. "But we had talked about it and decided to bring him on with half an hour to play."

Barcelona later tweeted that tests confirmed Messi has a bruised bone on the outside of his left knee.

A three-time FIFA Player of the Year, Messi has 84 goals for Barcelona and Argentina this year, one shy of Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record for most goals in a calendar year for club and country.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.