After his public spat with FC Barcelona came to an end, Lionel Messi could now reportedly be forced to miss El Clasico against Real Madrid in October.
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The Blaugrana are set to take on Los Blancos in the first Clasico of the 2020/21 campaign on 25 October, but Messi's participation in that match is in serious jeopardy.
South America's football governing body CONMEBOL has confirmed that Argentina will play two 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers next month – on 8 October against Ecuador and on 13 October against Bolivia.
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With the Albiceleste reportedly desperate to have Messi for both games, and with the 33-year-old eager to help his country qualify for the global tournament, the forward is expected to be named in the squad for the fixtures.
His involvement, however, could force him to miss Barca's Clasico clash with their bitter rivals as he would have to quarantine for two weeks following his return to Spain, as per government regulations.
According to Sport, Barcelona and some other European clubs have expressed concern to FIFA over this issue, although president Gianni Infantino has assured those South American countries that their Europe-based players will be available.
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It is further claimed that FIFA and CONMEBOL will soon meet in a virtual meeting with the intention to resolve the situation.
