Barcelona: Lionel Messi should only be used as a substitute against Internazionale

The Argentine playmaker is available for selection, but that doesn’t mean Ernesto Valverde should start him.

Cules could be forgiven for imagining the worst when Barcelona’s talisman Lionel Messi went down injured against Sevilla. His injury looked serious and rumours started to spread over how long he would be out for while Internazionale and Real Madrid loomed on the horizon, so it was the worst possible time for him to be out. Fast forwards a few weeks and he is due to return while Barcelona have won all four games without him as well as holding on to the lead against Sevilla.

The more high-profile the opponent, the better Barcelona have played. Real Madrid were dispatched 5-1, admittedly they were far from their usual best due to the lack of confidence in Julen Lopetegui’s ideas and he ended up being sacked not long afterwards. Cultural Leonesa were only beaten 1-0, although it was a heavily rotated XI and they had to come from behind with two late goals to beat Rayo Vallecano 3-2.

Inter were beaten 2-0 in a professional performance from the Catalans where they dominated for large spells. However, playing them at the San Siro is likely to be a lot tougher. They will probably see more off the ball, which likely translates to more chances for the clinical Mauro Icardi. Therefore, the defence and Marc-Andre ter Stegen will have to be in top form to nullify his impact.

The Catalans have been heavily reliant on home form in Europe over the past few seasons, so a win here would be another statement of intent after beating Wembley at Tottenham; it’s also the first time they have been in Italy since the humiliating 3-0 defeat to Roma and they need to end a six-game winless run in the country which stretches back to 2013.

Ernesto Valverde has the option to start Lionel Messi in a game which could guarantee top place in the group if they win, so it’s likely to be a tempting proposition. However, the team has played well with a sense of unity in all phases of play, and individuals such as Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba have stood up in his absence, so Valverde should keep faith in them. Keeping Messi on the bench should give confidence to the rest of the players that he trusts them to perform, especially the forwards.

It also reduces the chance of hindering Messi’s recovery because he wasn’t supposed to come back so quick from his arm injury. If the match isn’t going in their favour then Barcelona have the ultimate game-changer on the bench to strike fear into the opposition.

Ousmane Dembele should start the match on the right-wing after his crucial goal against Rayo Vallecano even if his overall performance wasn’t up to standard because he needs consistent opportunities to bring the best out of him. The quality of the opposition doesn’t seem to faze the 21-year-old and this is a kind of game where he could thrive due to the space available if Inter opt to take risks and play high up the pitch. If anything, Dembele isn’t as effective against weaker sides because there is usually less space to work in.