Messi will face Athletic Bilbao if he is ready, says Valverde

Ernesto Valverde hopes to have Lionel Messi available for the LaLiga trip to face Athletic Bilbao.

Published : Feb 09, 2019 23:31 IST

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi
lightbox-info

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi could face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday if he feels fully fit, Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde says.

The Argentina star was only fit enough to appear as a second-half substitute of the 1-1 Copa del Rey draw with Real Madrid on Wednesday, having been battling a thigh injury.

Valverde is still wary of taking unnecessary risks, especially with a Champions League last-16 first leg against Lyon to come on February 19, but he hopes to have Messi available.

"As always, we have to wait to make a decision," he told a news conference on Saturday. "We didn't want to take a risk the other day and we're in a similar situation [on Sunday].

"He's okay, but if he were at 100 per cent, as he has been at other times, he'd play. If he's okay, he'll play, and if not, we'll have to make a decision."

Fitness concerns

Barca heads to San Mames without midfielder Arthur, who is expected to miss most of the next month with a hamstring injury.

However, Valverde believes he has strong options for central midfield, including Philippe Coutinho, whose form has been under intense recent scrutiny.

"[With Arthur] we're losing a player who gives us control of the game, but injuries always come like that," he said. "We have alternatives. We have [Carles] Alena, who is more attacking; Arturo [Vidal] has an attacking edge, but less control. It depends on the game.

"Coutinho is a possibility in terms of how we decide the match."

Valverde does hope to have Samuel Umtiti and Ousmane Dembele fully fit soon, although he would not say if either will be available to face Bilbao.

"Umtiti did the first part of training yesterday and we want him to do more," he said. "Dembele's injury isn't as long. We'll assess today if he's okay or not."

Valverde was again asked to comment on his future, with speculation that he will leave at the end of the season persisting, but he simply said: "When I have an answer, I'll give it to you."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment