Messi behaviour ‘impeccable’: Enrique
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique defended the integrity of his team’s talisman Lionel Messi on Saturday after the Argentine was hit with a lengthy ban from international football for insulting an assistant referee.
Messi was handed a fourgame suspension by FIFA on Tuesday for the incident during Argentina’s 1-0 win over Chile in a World Cup qualifier, forcing him out of his side’s 2-0 defeat by Chile.
Messi is suspended for Barca’s La Liga game at Granada on Sunday after collecting five yellow cards in the league season, although he has only committed seven fouls in the campaign, receiving the majority of the bookings for dissent.
“Those numbers are incredible, he is super respectful towards referees and he never causes controversy,” Luis Enrique said.
Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has joined defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones on the sidelines after having surgery on a groin injury, the club said on Friday.
Smalling and Jones sustained long-term injuries while on international duty with England, manager Jose Mourinho told reporters on Friday before United issued an update on Mata. Smalling was photographed wearing a leg brace on Monday after suffering his third injury of the campaign. Jones has a toe problem. “They are long-term injuries,” Mourinho said. United will be without at least six first-team players for Premier League game.