Lionel Messi withdraws from Barcelona squad

Lionel Messi has been forced to withdraw from the Barcelona squad to face Malaga on Saturday night.

Messi had been expected to feature in Ernesto Valverde's starting lineup, with Barca looking to extend their unbeaten record in La Liga to 28 matches.

However, the Catalan giants announced on Saturday morning that Messi would be absent from the squad due to personal reasons.

Yerry Mina - a January signing from Palmeiras - has been brought in as Messi's replacement and is likely to feature on the substitutes' bench.

Last weekend, Messi netted the only goal of the game as Barcelona recorded a 1-0 victory over title rivals Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou.

The Argentine has scored a total of 31 goals from 37 appearances in all competitions this season.