Gregorio Manzano is happy that Lionel Messi will miss Mallorca’s trip to Barcelona this weekend, as it is ‘one less headache’ for his team.
Messi is absent for the Saturday League fixture with a thigh injury sustained in Barca’s Champions League quarter-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
“It is one less headache. With Messi absent we won’t have that footballing nightmare of trying to stop a player with more goals than I do not know how many teams in the Primera Division,” Manzano reflected today.
“I do not mean that without Messi Barcelona are vulnerable, because that is not the case at all. What is true is that they will not have a particular resource, a player that as we have already said can decide a game.
“This weekend we have to provide our best version of ourselves, get it right from start to finish, to have any chance of winning.
“And I can assure you that yes, we will not go to the Camp Nou to throw the game, far from it, because we really need the three points.”
It was put to Manzano that Barca will be distracted by the upcoming Champions League quarter-final second leg to PSG.
“Yes, clearly, but relatively so, because the Catalans will not want to upset their fans and intend to win this weekend too.
“The absences they have are significant, but if anything characterises Barcelona it is the sheer quality and quantity in their squad.
“They are a year without losing at home. The last team that did so was Real Madrid and I say this is ironic because they have also not been beaten this year [in the League] since also losing to Madrid. The question is – will they? On Saturday evening we will know.”
