Barca sweating on Messi fitness ahead of Sevilla clash
BARCELONA are hoping star player Lionel Messi will be fit to face Sevilla tomorrow as they bid to take another step towards the Spanish title.
Messi suffered muscle fatigue which kept him out of Argentina’s two friendlies against Italy and Spain during the international break and is a doubt to play at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Vincenzo Montella’s Sevilla host the unbeaten leaders in what is a dress rehearsal for the Copa del Rey final on April 21.
Barcelona are 11 points clear with nine league games to go and a victory over sixth place Sevilla would see them hurdle one of the biggest obstacles remaining on the final straight.
“I am calm (about the Messi situation),” said Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde yesterday.
“We will not get too worried ahead of time about this, the medics will look at him and we will see what steps to take.
“He finished the last game in La Liga well against Athletic Bilbao, with some pain but nothing too serious.”
Barcelona are also hoping Sergio Busquets will return from a foot injury and that the knee problem which kept Marc-Andre ter Stegen out of Germany’s 1-0 defeat by Brazil is not severe enough to prevent him from featuring.
Sevilla’s Jesus Navas has trained normally after returning from injury and is set to return to the side for the clash with Barcelona.
Meanwhile second place Atletico Madrid should score an easy win at home against Deportivo La Coruna, 19th, to keep their slim title hopes alive.
“We know La Liga is very difficult for us, almost impossible, but we have hope,” said Koke.
“We have to take as many points as possible. Barcelona have not lost, they have to lose four and we have to win them all.”
Across town Real Madrid’s league campaign is no longer the main concern for the reigning champions, third and 15 points behind Barcelona but 13 clear of fifth place Villarreal, meaning their Champions League place for next season is assured.
Instead Zinedine Zidane is using league matches to rest key players for the defence of their European title, with Madrid poised to travel to Turin on Tuesday to face Juventus in the quarterfinal.
Isco, out of favour at Madrid, may be handed a start at Las Palmas tomorrow after he scored a hattrick in Spain’s 6-1 rout of Argentina.
The playmaker complained that he is finding it hard to win the trust of Zidane.
“In Madrid, I don’t have the confidence a player needs,” Isco said.
“The matches with the national team give me life. Here (with Spain), I have the confidence of the coach (Julen Lopetegui).
“Maybe I’m the problem. I don’t know how to win Zidane’s confidence.” – dpa