The absence of Messi should have little effect on Barcelona

The Catalans all collectively held their breath over the weekend, when the team's most iconic player went down with a nasty fall against Sevilla, which resulted in a broken arm. Lionel Messi is now scheduled to be out from 3-4 weeks, and his injury will certainly test Barcelona's world-class depth. But in recent times when the superstar has been injured, Barca have had enough depth to see their way through until his return. 

Barcelona were 3/1 favorites, with Inter Milan coming to town for this week's Champions League fixture. That price abruptly dropped to 2/1, showing just how much the little genius means while a part of the starting line-up. 

Ousmane Dembele is now a name many must get used to. The young Frenchman will finally get regular first team minutes until Messi's return. After making a huge money move from Dortmund last Summer, Dembele has struggled to break the starting eleven. The pacey forward is more than capable of causing his own set of problems, his first touch is amazing, able to fly past defenders in the blink of an eye, while possessing both a skillful set of passing and finishing skills. With three goals scored during the early campaign, I would expect those numbers to rapidly increase. 

Erneste Valverde will also call upon Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho to help carry the load. The duo have already combined 7 Goals and 5 Assists, proving they would be the main men on the majority of any other sides in Europe, but each sacrifice their egos to wear the famed Barcelona kit.

Barcelona's upcoming schedule is less than daunting. Although they will host Real Madrid in another edition of El Clasico on Sunday, Los Blancos are clearly not the same team they have been in the past and have struggled at a historic rate. The remaining set of opponents are no higher than 11th in the La Liga table, and with Wednesday's shutout of Inter Milan there is no big threat left to steal points in Champions League play.

Barca currently sit atop the La Liga table by one point, with an overall record of 5-3-1 with Messi in the lineup. I envision the Catalans reeling off no worse than a 2-0-1 record during Messi's absence, which would still leave them in a powerful position around the top of the table. Their Champions League dreams should be just as safe. They are currently atop Group B with a perfect 2-0-0 start and one more victory should place them in the drivers seat for yet another Round of 16 appearance. 

Messi has in fact missed 61 matches since 2010, and over that stretch the Spanish giants have collected 49 victories, out of a possible 63. Barcelona have even seen their UEFA winning percentage increase while the 'Flea' was on the sidelines, jumping from 60% to a whooping 78%. I believe the club should once again respond well, based on what lies ahead of them and the amount of talent waiting in the wings.

Lionel Messi is irreplaceable, but his being out could actually help this team gel even more. With important minutes and additional responsibilities being placed on the remaining players' shoulders, this should make Barcelona a better overall squad as the season progresses.  

Barcelona's Schedule

Oct 28 - 10:15 am ET
Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Spain - La Liga

Oct 31 -3:30 pm ET
Cultural Leonesa vs Barcelona
Spain - Copa del Rey

Nov 03 - 2:45 pm ET
Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona
Spain - La Liga

Nov 06 - 2:00 pm ET
Inter Milan - Barcelona
UEFA - Champions League

Nov 11 - 9:15 am ET
Barcelona - Real Betis
Spain - La Liga  

International Break
November 12-20