Argentine press celebrate Messi's Champions League elimination 2018 World Cup Hope is that he will be fresher for World Cup

Lionel Messi's face adorned the front of Argentina's sporting newspapers following Barcelona's shock defeat to Roma but the player's countrymen and women were not too unhappy about his club's Champions League exit.

While there are concerns over the forward's morale and performance levels, this elimination is widely considered a chance for him to rest ahead of the World Cup.

"Fatigued, Messi didn't show up for Barcelona and they suffered a historic elimination against Roma," wrote publication Ole. "He will reach Russia with less stress on his body but with the disappointment of missing the final rounds of the Champions League."

Indeed, many focused on the hamstring injury that has persisted over the last few weeks and kept Messi out of Argentina's recent internationals.

"Perhaps the most important thing is that he can definitively recover from his hamstring problem, which doesn't allow him to play normally," added Ole.

Over at Clarin, the mood was much the same, as they wrote: "The national team needed Leo out of the Champions League.

"He was playing on the verge of a muscle injury and now we must prioritise his physical state over that of the soul."

La Nacion pointed out that the 30-year-old will be hurt by the disappointment of the defeat and also that he is likely to shoulder a large part of the blame.

"It can do his body good to lighten the load in the face of the World Cup," they wrote. "But this slap doesn't help the footballing prestige of Messi, or Barcelona.

"As many of their successes are explained by the Argentine, the disappointments of the club are also his responsibility.

"Beyond saving energy, these defeats are unsettling."

That said, they are confident that such heartache won't deter Messi in Russia this summer.

"[Jorge] Sampaoli won't be worried as he believes Messi's competitive genes will keep him out of harm's way," stated La Nacion.

"Messi is obsessed with Russia and that voracity won't be stopped by a surprise elimination."

Argentine fans will have a keen eye on Wednesday's games in a similar vein as Juventus duo Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala could be knocked out by Real Madrid, with Sevilla's Ever Banega and Gabriel Mercado also on the verge of defeat.