Messi could play against Inter, says Barca coach
Inter Milan manager Spalletti says Barcelona are what his team hope to become
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said captain Lionel Messi could feature against Inter Milan in the Champions League today, little more than two weeks after breaking his arm. Messi was a surprise inclusion in the squad list as he was expected to be out of action for three weeks after breaking a bone in his right arm on Oct 20.
The Argentine forward returned to training last week and may be able to help Barcelona secure progression from Group B today at the San Siro. “Leo is at the point where he might be available, but we have to wait for the training session. We have to see if he’s safe to play,” Valverde told reporters yesterday.
“In terms of his play and his movements, he’s fine. We have to wait .... It’s always better if he’s there. Of course it’s necessary to get Messi back as soon as possible. There are three or four possibilities. One is that he plays from the start, or he comes on, or he goes off. What we won’t do is take any risks.”
Barcelona trained last night in the Italian capital, after which Messi may receive his medical clearance from Barcelona’s doctors. “I don’t know if (Messi) will play tomorrow but I am happy he is back with us,” added versatile Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto. “It’s clear that we were worried about his absence, he’s the best player in the team and in the world.”
Barcelona won the four games they have played without Messi, including beating Inter Milan 2-0 at the Nou Camp and thrashing Real Madrid 5-1 in La Liga. Meanwhile, Barcelona are what Inter Milan hope to become in the future, the Italian club’s coach Luciano Spalletti said, heaping praise on their Champions League opponents.
Spalletti is in the second season of a rebuilding job at Inter, a club that seems to have been in perpetual transition since winning a Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia treble under Jose Mourinho in 2010.
China’s electronics retailer Suning Holdings Group bought a majority stake in the club in 2016 and, two weeks ago, 26-year-old Steven Zhang, the son of Suning chairman Zhang Jindong, was appointed club president, promising to lead them into a new era.
Inter have won their last seven Serie A games, although they were comprehensibly beaten 2-0 at Barcelona in their previous Group B match two weeks ago, and Spalletti said Tuesday’s match would be the ultimate test of his team’s progress.
“We’ve always said that we can play against any opponent .... this is the chance to see if we really can compete against any side,” he told reporters. “Barcelona represents the highest level of difficulty that there is. They are already at the level that we are looking to reach. Barcelona have been a point of reference for all coaches, and not just in football. Inter are in a phase of continual growth, I think we’re doing better than last season even though we have four points less,” he added.
Spalletti said it would not make much difference if Lionel Messi was passed fit to play for Barca. “With Messi, Barca’s degree of unpredictability increases but their attitude is the same without him. He is obviously the cherry on the cake, the idol of all kids that dream of becoming footballers.”
Barca lead the group with nine points from three games followed by Inter on six while PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham have one point each.