Barcelona have been boosted by confirmation that Lionel Messi has avoided serious injury and should be available for Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.
The No 10 had been a doubt going into the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg after he was substituted midway through La Blaugrana’s 6-0 victory over the Basques in La Liga on Sunday.
However, according to the club’s official website, he only suffered “minor discomfort” to the right femoral bicep in his right leg, therefore ruling out any serious damage.
The news comes in the wake of Jordi Alba’s hamstring injury, which will sideline him for 10 days.
