3 Formations Barcelona can use in Messi's absence for El Clasico and Champions League

It was a victory for which Barcelona paid a significant price.

Saturday's 4-2 defeat of Sevilla saw the Catalan giants move to the Liga summit but the main talking point of the game was the loss of Lionel Messi.

The mesmeric Argentine took his league goal tally to seven for the season moments after setting up Philippe Coutinho for Barcelona's opener but a challenge from Franco Vazquez cut his match short.

Messi is set to be sidelined for three weeks with an arm injury that will see him miss a crucial Champions League home tie with Inter Milan, who are level on points with the Blaugrana in Group B, as well as next week's El Clasico clash with Real Madrid.

Barcelona could also be without their main man for games with Cultural Leonesa, Rayo Vallecano, Real Betis and the away fixture with Inter.

Ernesto Valverde is renowned for his tactical awareness but even he will be left scratching his head following the casualty.

How exactly should he set his side up in Messi's absence? Here's a look at three formations Barcelona could try out without the formidable front man.

4-3-3

Barca could opt for their current formation in the absence of Messi

Barcelona have operated for much of this season in a 4-3-3 system with Messi and there's no saying they will switch to another set-up in his absence.

Having played with two up-top for the majority of last campaign, the decision by Valverde to switch to the 4-3-3 was met with initial cynicism by Barca fans. Four wins to start the season, including an 8-2 drubbing of Huesca, quickly silenced the skeptics.

Messi is impossible to pin down tactically but the key to his game is an ability to run at players and cut inside from the flank to create goalscoring opportunities. Without him, it is likely Valverde would opt for Coutinho and Ousmane Dembélé either side of Luis Suarez.

Dembélé has provided more crosses (nine) than any other Barca player this term and he provides a more direct threat, driving at opposition full-backs and whipping the ball in. Coutinho is the more likely to take up the Messi role of cutting inside, taking shots and drawing others into the game.

Suarez, who typically peels out wide to create space for Messi through the middle, is likely to anchor down a more central role, especially due to Dembélé's deliveries and crosses from Jordi Alba and Nelson Semedo, who could have more space on the overlap.

4-2-3-1

Coutinho could be a key figure with Messi sidelined

What Messi brings above all else is creativity. The Argentine can see things others do not and, as a result of his unavailability, Valverde may opt for a quartet of attacking-orientated players to compensate.

Once again this system sees Coutinho, occupying the number ten position, take up the role most similar to the club's all-time top goalscorer.

The Brazilian will be allowed space through the middle courtesy of widemen Dembélé and Malcom, who can stretch the opposing back line with their blistering pace and movement down the channels.

Consequently, Suarez could become more of a target-man like figure, feeding off crosses, while Coutinho will collect the ball around the edge of the box as opposed to deeper in midfield where he typically does in a 4-3-3 incorporating Messi.

An issue with this system could be that, with so many players focused in the final third, Ivan Rakitić will have less freedom with the ball at his feet and the Croatian would have to carry out a more defensive role in the holding midfield position alongside Sergio Busquets.

4-4-2

Barca could revert to last season's successful set-up

It was a system which saw Barcelona romp to an irrepressible 14-point title win last campaign but there are notable tactical differences to a 4-4-2 set-up without Messi compared to with him.

Valverde's systems are typically balanced and reserved and this formation is a fine example of that. Coutinho, Alba, Malcom and Semedo can create overloads down the flanks while Busquets drops back to provide cover for Clement Lenglet and Gerard Piqué.

Suarez has evolved into somewhat of a hold-up forward at Barcelona and he can press a ball-playing centre-half before keeping the ball and unleashing it to Messi when the space opens up.

This is still an option with Dembélé, who has the pace to latch onto the flick-ons and through balls Suarez has become accustomed to playing to Messi.

The onus is typically on Barca players to feed the ball to Messi but in this system the attacking individuals have more freedom in the final third and Coutinho and Malcom also have the option of cutting inside and striking, with Suarez and Dembele splitting up-top.