Messi injured but Barcelona seal win over Villarreal

Barcelona's 2-1 home victory over Villarreal in La Liga was overshadowed by Lionel Messi's half-time exit due to a fresh injury.

Coach Ernesto Valverde, however, stressed that the decision to replace Messi with Ousmane Dembele was only a precautionary step.

"When something happens to Messi, everyone stops, not only on the field, but in the stands as well," Valverde said.

"It is a small problem in the adductor and as a precaution we have decided not to risk it. In theory, it is nothing more but we will see tomorrow how it is."

Messi had missed more than a month at the start of the season with his calf issues in early August. 

The victory takes Barcelona up to fourth with 10 points after six games.