Barcelona just don’t seem to learn from their mistakes.
As per Daily Star, Messi has been overworked since the start of post lockdown football action. The 33-year-old has featured in every game following the restart and hasn’t been offered rest a single time.
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Messi, 33, is still the playmaker he was back in the day. However, the point is that after a certain age every player needs to come off towards the end. In a few years’ time, Messi’s body will not be able to support him and the effects of him being overused post the restart will not be seen now, but in the future.
The Argentina international has amassed 810 minutes of playtime in just 28 days and if you are thinking that he might probably get one or two games in this season as an off then you’re wrong in every way. There lies a difference of only one point between Real Madrid and the Blaugranes and if the latter are to keep pressure on the league leader, they need their best man. Coming to the outside of UCL, Messi will be needed for their UCL clash as well (2nd leg clash against Napoli) and given the fact that the first leg was a draw, it will be a deciding and a key fixture. So, the next few weeks are going to be critical for the club.
Quique Seiten has admitted that the captain does need rest but also acclaimed that he would have subbed him in their last game if the lead was of 2 goals and not a solitary one. It seems a definitive winning position is the requirement for Messi being subbed off towards the end of the game and this just shows the deep pit that the Catalan Giants have dug for themselves. Their over-reliance on the Argentine icon has put them on the verge of going trophy-less this season with UCL and La Liga (almost impossible) being their last hopes.
Lionel Messi has made it clear that for him to stay at the club, Barcelona need to make some new signings. He is specifically looking forward to the signings of Lautaro Martinez and Neymar. Understanding the current financial situation, even a single signing out of the two might be enough for him to sign a contract extension.