Barcelona Coach Ernesto Valverde has explained the club will take a late decision on Lionel Messi’s fitness ahead of Wednesday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid.
The Argentine star picked up a thigh injury in Saturday’s draw with Valencia and is a doubt for the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
“We will decide depending on the progress in the final training session,” Valverde told reporters, as cited by Diario AS.
“If he is available for selection, if he is fit and performs well in training then we will be in a position to play him but it depends.
“It will not alter our plans much and there is not a favourite for an El Clasico semi-final, both sides have very good players.
“We believe we have the best player in the world along with many other great players, as do Real Madrid – it will be a great game.
“Obviously these will be two very demanding matches for both sides and it is tricky to balance this with the league, so we will need to be careful.
“When you have games like these it gives you a greater incentive for victory, as is the same for them, and I am sure it will add a lot more to the contest.
“Vinicius Junior? He is a very confident player who plays with bravery and pace, he takes on opponents and is playing really well.”
