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Argentina team doctor Daniel Martinez says that Lionel Messi was in "intense pain" after he was taken off in the second half of Argentina's 1-0 friendly win over Honduras on Friday with a bruised lower back. Messi, who was replaced by Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega in the 64th minute, limped off after taking a knee to the back and the 28-year-old is now being assessed ahead of the Copa America. "We did a scan on him at the stadium and then took him to do an ultrasound and an MRI," Martinez told La Nacion. "Thankfully we didn't find any bone damage or fractures but there is a large contusion. "There's inflammation around the back of his ribcage and in the soft tissue. The pain is making it difficult to move normally, to turn, to cough. "He was in intense pain on the field. The most worrying thing was the pain because, as I said, it was intense. Sometimes being warm means you don't feel anything but here was the complete opposite: Messi was in a lot of pain." Martinez gave no indication if Messi would miss the tournament, or when he would start training again, but added: "These guys sometimes have really quick recoveries. They're young and they're healthy." Messi is set to fly to Spain to appear before a judge at the Audiencia de Barcelona on Thursday. He is then expected to fly directly to Santa Clara, California, to rejoin the team for Copa America preparations. ESPN Argentina reported on Saturday night that Messi felt well enough to fly to his hometown of Rosario, where he will recuperate before traveling to Spain on Monday, according to the Argentina team doctor who travelled with him to Rosario.
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