Bad news for Messi: Argentina teammate Giovani Lo Celso suffers absurd injury during Europa League clash

With less than five months to go before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, national teams around the world are closely monitoring the status of their players, wary of any physical issues that could jeopardize their participation in the tournament. Giovani Lo Celso, one of Lionel Messi’s teammates with Argentina, picked up an injury while competing in the UEFA Europa League.

On Thursday, Real Betis fell 2-0 to PAOK in Greece. It was a tough result for the Spanish side, who needed a win to all but secure direct qualification to the round of 16. Betis remain in a qualification spot, but only goal difference separates them from their closest challenger, Porto.

The loss, however, was not the only bad news for Betis. In the 62nd minute, head coach Manuel Pellegrini decided to bring on one of his most important players, Giovani Lo Celso, to replace Pablo Fornals. Just six minutes later, the midfielder was forced off and replaced by Dani Perez. The setback was compounded by an injury to another Betis player, Aitor Ruibal.

“It’s difficult to have a diagnosis right now, but both are muscle injuries… They won’t be available for this weekend’s match or the next one either,” Pellegrini explained in his post-match press conference, according to Sport. “Gio’s happened just a minute after he came on,” the coach added, visibly frustrated by the bizarre circumstances surrounding Lo Celso’s injury.

Injuries, a recurring problem for Lo Celso

Despite being one of the most talented midfielders in La Liga, Giovani Lo Celso has struggled to establish himself consistently at Real Betis. This season, he has even lost his status as an undisputed starter under head coach Manuel Pellegrini.

Much of that has to do with the recurring injuries the Argentine midfielder has suffered throughout his career, particularly in recent years. In fact, since returning to Betis in mid-2024, Lo Celso has missed 177 days due to various injuries, according to Transfermarkt. As a result, he has been sidelined for 24 matches with the Spanish club.

The muscle issue suffered in Greece on Thursday adds to that list and will increase his absence tally by at least two more games. Lo Celso will miss Sunday’s La Liga match against Alaves and will also be unavailable for the decisive Europa League clash against Feyenoord next Thursday.

Injuries also affect Lo Celso with Argentina

Between 2019 and 2022, Giovani Lo Celso was Lionel Messi’s main creative partner with the Argentina national team. The midfielder played a key role in winning the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 Finalissima, and he was on track to be an unquestioned starter under Lionel Scaloni at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

However, weeks before the tournament kicked off in Qatar, Lo Celso suffered a serious muscle injury while playing for Villarreal. The setback required surgery and ruled him out of the World Cup entirely. From that point on, he was never able to reclaim his prominent role with the national team, falling behind players such as Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Thiago Almada.

Since then, Gio has missed seven more matches with Argentina due to various physical issues during World Cup qualifying. And while Scaloni’s next call-up is still two months away, this latest injury only adds to the doubts surrounding Lo Celso’s availability.