Lionel Messi set to make bench for Champions League match
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is set to make a return from his ankle injury in the La Liga giants’ UEFA Champions League group stage match against Russian champions Rubin Kazan.
The Argentinian attacker has been out of action since the 2-1 La Liga win over Atletico Madrid on September 19. Messi suffered ligament damage and was expected to be out of action for two weeks following a challenge by defender Tomas Ujfalusi.
But the 23-year-old looks set to make a swift return to action, as he has been named in Barcelona’s 19-man squad for Wednesday’s match and will travel to Russia with his teammates.
It is unlikely that Messi will be named in the starting line-up, but he could feature as an impact substitute if Barca has to chase the game against a side which defeated them twice at this stage of the competition last season.
Messi’s rapid recovery from his injury has also been made evident by the fact that Argentina caretaker coach Sergio Batista has named him in the squad to face Japan in a friendly match next month.
Meanwhile, Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff has said that Messi should not be risked in the Champions League match. As Messi is not yet fully fit, the Dutchman does not see any benefit in fielding the player in either game and the risk of a more serious long-term
injury is a needless one.
He wrote in his weekly column for El Perodico de Catalunya that, “Right now we just want a quick recovery from Messi’s ankle injury. An injury that is not completely cured can give you problems not only in the game, but throughout your career. The
club can play and compete well without Messi against Rubin, and he should also not play Argentina’s friendly match against Japan. Neither match is fundamental to either team.”
Tags: