Lionel Messi among three Barcelona first-team stars missing from squad for Champions League game

Lionel Messi has been left out of the Barcelona squad due to travel to Ferencvaros for their fifth group stage game on Wednesday. However, the Argentine is not the only first-team star missing. Ronald Koeman has also decided to rest Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Philippe Coutinho for the tie.

The Catalans have already qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, so the decision does not come as a surprise. Barcelona are currently top of Group G, having won all of their four games so far.

The Spanish giants started their new campaign with a 5-1 win over Ferencvaros at home and then followed it up with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Juventus on matchday two.

Barcelona overcame a spirited Dynamo Kyiv side at the Camp Nou next, winning 2-1, before demolishing the same opponents 4-0 on matchday four. Interestingly, Lionel Messi sat out that game too, but the Blaugrana turned up the heat in the second half to seal the tie.

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Barcelona can afford to rest Lionel Messi with qualification confirmed

Messi was also rested for the victory over Dynamo Kyiv on matchday four.

Acclaimed Spanish journalist Alfredo Martinez had reported earlier in the day that Lionel Messi, ter Stegen, and Coutinho were all missing from Barcelona training.

That prompted rumors that the trio were being rested for the trip to the Puskas Arena. And the Blaugrana have now confirmed those reports, with none of the three players making it to the Champions League squad for the game.

Lenglet entra en la lista para Hungría. Descansan Messi, Coutinho y Ter Stegen. Bajas Piqué ,Ansu,Roberto,Araujo y Umtiti pic.twitter.com/ReiGMM4cSF

— Alfredo Martínez (@Alfremartinezz) December 1, 2020

However, Frenkie de Jong, who was also missing in the win over Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine, has been reinstated in the squad. Clement Lenglet was a doubt for the game after picking up a slight niggle in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Osasuna at the weekend. However, the Frenchman has been named in the squad.

Today marks 11 years since the Greatest Of All Time took home his first Ballon d’Or #Messi #OTD pic.twitter.com/Tl9IW2IGi8

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 1, 2020

Even though the Catalans are guaranteed qualification, the group has not been won yet. Perhaps Koeman would have been better advised to secure top place by playing Lionel Messi in midweek and then resting him for Barcelona’s final game against Juventus.

But it is also true that the Catalans are expected to make light work of the Hungarian side. Perhaps Koeman is confident of making it five wins out of five without risking an injury for Lionel Messi, whom Barcelona will need in top condition for the knockout stages.