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Lionel Messi’s condition spells further trouble for Barcelona

By Ranoveer Neogi

MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 01: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona looks on prior to the Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 1, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Alejandro Rios/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - MARCH 01: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona looks on prior to the Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 1, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Alejandro Rios/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) /
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Barcelona’s captain Lionel Messi may be rested against Napoli after the player decided to play the El Clasico with a hidden injury.

The El Clasico that was played on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu was one of Barcelona’s worst performances in recent years and even Barcelona’s captain Lionel Messi had a poor game when compared to his standard.

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Don Balon claims that the 33-year old forward had felt a strain on his abductor that he picked up against Villarreal at the start of the season at the Camp Nou. He also did play the Champions League knockout game against Napoli at the San Paolo Stadium with a strain on his abductor that restricted him from playing at his best.

The Argentine forward should be resting and not playing till his injury heals completely, however, the player does not feel the same as he believes that he cannot abandon his team during the business end of the season.

Barcelona and Lionel Messi over the past few years have a poor away Champions League knockout history. The Blaugrana have been knocked out of the UCL over the seasons because of their poor away performances starting from the Atletico Madrid comeback at Vincent Calderon in 2015-16 to the fondest memories of every Liverpool fan at Anfield when the Reds won 4-1 during the 2018-19 season.

With Messi carrying a minor injury, it is high time for Antoine Griezmann, Ansu Fati, and Martin Braithwaite to demonstrate their quality and show the Camp Nou that the team can perform without Messi if he is rested for the game against Napoli.

Former Real Betis manager Quique Setien may also consider resting two other players who also do not seem to be fully fit after their recovering from their recent injuries.

The El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu saw a very tired Jordi Alba who was found limping on several occasions. Samuel Umtiti is also having a hard time finding his feet once again and his lack of pace yesterday was visible after Mariano Diaz ran past the French international to settle the game.

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The medical team and the fitness instructors should be held responsible as the long list of injuries keeps growing at Barcelona, which leaves Quique Setien with only a handful of players for the crucial matches in the coming weeks.

Should Barcelona rest Lionel Messi against Napoli and let the other forwards prove their worth?

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