Lionel Messi will apparently not be ready to take on Real Madrid when the two clubs face off on Nov. 21.

According to SPORT, the superstar's healing process is behind schedule, and it is looking more and more likely that Blaugrana will have to make due without its talisman. Messi was expected to be ready to play in the Clasico, but he is not ready to start running due to continued weakness in his knee.

A few weeks ago when Messi went down it looked necessary to get the superstar back as soon as possible. The team was struggling to produce offense, and a game with Madrid could be a huge turning point in the La Liga race. But that no longer looks to be necessary for two major reasons.

The first reason comes from Barcelona's exploits without its superstar. Luis Suarez and Neymar have stepped up in huge ways since Messi went down. The Brazilian has six goals and five assists during the span of seven games, including the Las Palmas game during which Messi was injured.

Meanwhile Suarez has recorded eight goals and one helper in that same span, including a whopping four game winning goals; Barcelona won all six games without Messi.

So the team's performance is a key to letting Messi rest up and be 100 percent. If the team were struggling, then it might feel inclined to push Messi back in time to face Madrid.

But the opposition provides reason number two for holding Messi back.

Los Blancos are enduring major injuries themselves and have not been in tip-top form offensively. James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Keylor Navas are currently injured for the club. Some are expected back soon, but they cannot be expected to return in their best form. That will take time, and it is unlikely that Rodriguez would be at his best if he made his return against Barcelona.

There may be another reason to hold Messi back. And it has to do with the weeks before the Clasico. The match is three weeks away, but Barcelona is looking at the week before the big game when national sides will be calling up their top players. Argentina is off to a poor start in its World Cup qualifying campaign, and there are rumblings that Messi is needed desperately to save this team's campaign. Making announcements about Messi not being ready for Nov. 21 might simply be a ploy to keep him away from the international week where a lot of players have been injured. Instead, Messi would get extra time to heal up and could make a "surprise" recovery in time for the Clasico.

Whatever the truth is, Messi is not desperately needed by Barcelona by Nov. 21, and it might be of greater benefit for the top Ballon d'Or contender to be at his best in time for a long run from December to May.