Argentine star Messi leaves Honduras match with back injury
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi left the field with a back injury in the second half of a 1-0 victory over Honduras in a friendly Friday night.
The Argentine team captain and Barcelona star was hit on an apparently inconsequential play and immediately went to the locker room. He was replaced at the 62-minute mark by Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega and never returned to the field.
"Messi suffered a trauma to the left side of his lower back and rib cage," the Argentine Football (Soccer) Association said in a statement, adding that doctors were looking at the injury.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Messi is not a player who leaves the field with minor injuries like he did Friday at San Juan's Bicentenario stadium.
"I would not dare to venture a diagnosis," said a concerned Argentine manager, Gerardo Martino.
Gonzalo Higuain, who scored for Argentina, said it "was an important win and here's hoping that what happened to Leo is nothing."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Messi was scheduled to fly to Spain to resolve a tax issue and then rejoin the team in Santa Clara, California.