Lionel Messi could miss rest of Barcelona season

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Madrid • Lionel Messi's Barcelona season may be over because of a reoccurrence of a hamstring injury that has slowed him for more than a month.

Barcelona said Tuesday that the four-time FIFA player of the year will be sidelined for two-to-three weeks, which means he might not return in time for the season finale against Malaga on June 1.

Messi has 60 goals in 50 games, down from a record-setting 73 goals in 60 matches last season. He has 46 Spanish league goals, four shy of the record he set in 2011-12.

He originally strained his right hamstring April 2 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Paris Saint-Germain and re-aggravated the injury in Sunday's 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona already has clinched its fourth league title in five years. Messi could return to action for Argentina's World Cup qualifiers against Colombia on June 7 and Ecuador four days later.