Lionel Messi will our La Liga opener, confirms Ernesto Valverde
Barcelona's superstar Lionel Messi is set to miss his La Liga opener against Athletic Bilbao, a game to be played at San Mamés. The Argentine is still recovering from a calf injury, and was doubtful to participate in Friday's match, as he hasn't taken part in any of the Catalans pre-season matches.
Barcelona are set to open their season without the talismanic Lionel Messi, with the Argentine having still not recovered from his calf injury. It has seen him not participate in their pre-season games, with manager Ernesto Valverde not willing to take any chances.
"We are not going to take risks and less so with Leo. He hasn't trained yet with the team. We will wait, but he is following a fairly good recovery process."
He scored an incredible 36 goals in 34 appearances in the Spanish league last season, winning the Golden Boot. However, even if Messi's absence will be felt for the former La Liga title holders, the recent signing of Antoine Griezmann could be a sign of relief, as he can easily fill the Argentinian's slot. The Frenchman finished last season with 15 goals in 37 appearances, also adding 8 assists.
The fixture against Athletic Bilbao will, however, see Messi miss out on a La Liga opener for the first time in 10 years. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner will have to depend on his teammates this time to make sure that Barcelona get off to a strong start.
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