Lionel Messi misses Barcelona’s Club World Cup semi-final with Guangzhou Evergrande after going down with renal colic.
Barca confirmed Messi’s absence shortly before the match against the Asian Champions League winners but could offer no information on his future involvement in the competition should the Catalans beat Guangzhou for a place in Sunday’s final against River Plate.
Renal colic causes abdominal pain and can often be related to kidney stones, the club added.
Luis Enrique is able to name Claudio Bravo in goal behind a back four of Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba.
Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta form the midfield three and Sergi Roberto and Munir El Haddadi deputise for Neymar, out with a groin injury, and Messi, joining Luis Suarez.
Guangzhou Coach Felipe Scolari declines to include former Real Madrid forward Robinho from the start, the 31-year-old warming the bench in Yokohama.
Ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Paulinho does start, however, while Elkeson, another of Guangzhou’s Brazilian contingent, is in attack.
Guangzhou are captained by Zheng Zhi, previously of Charlton Athletic and Celtic.
The Coaches are able to use any other member of the squad named for the competition as substitutes, though Neymar and Douglas are listed as injured for Barca, and Messi is marked as absent.
Barcelona: Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Sergi Roberto, Munir, Suarez
Guangzhou Evergrande: Li Shuai; Zhang Linpeng, Feng Xiaoting, Zou Zheng, Kim Young-gwon; Paulinho, Zheng Zhi; Huang Bowen, Goulart, Zheng Long; Elkeson
Referee: Aguilar [El Salvador]
