Barcelona heavyweights rested for Champions League match
Lionel Messi among the notable absences for Barcelona’s next match.
Barcelona released their squad list for their upcoming match in the Champions League against Ferencvaros with some notable absences.
Lionel Messi, Philippe Coutinho, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen were left out the list and will not make the trip to Hungary.
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However, Clement Lenglet, who left the pitch against Osasuna after picking up an ankle injury, was a surprise inclusion.
Manager Ronald Koeman explained why he decided to leave the Argentine behind.
"“I understand it is not usual, but in the calendar for this season there were two moments to rest Leo Messi, Kyiv and tomorrow, because we are already qualified,” Koeman said.Source: Sport"
He also said that it was an opportunity to give other players a chance and looking ahead at the upcoming match in La Liga which is important. The Catalans have not gotten off to a good start in the league and are trying to remedy that.
This is the second consecutive Champions League match in which Messi will not be featured. Koeman seems to be willing to rest the Argentine when warranted which is a contradiction to previous managers who seem inclined on playing him every game.
As for Ter Stegen and Coutinho, it is simply a matter of giving them a rest. The Brazilian is coming back from an injury it is still taking him some time to get back into the swing of things. With Ter Stegen out, Neto, who played well in the German’s absence, will be the starting goalkeeper.
Messi, 33, wants to play every game but Barcelona need him rested if they want to get back in the hunt for the league title. The plan is that resting him now will pay dividends in the long run.
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What are your predictions for the match against Ferencvaros?