Lionel Messi’s return to the Argentina squad after a nine-month absence did not come as a surprise to Ernesto Valverde. Messi has not played for Argentina since the World Cup but is in Lionel Scaloni’s squad for upcoming friendly matches against Venezuela and Morocco. Barcelona’s captain will
But the Barca boss does not think Messi returning to international duty will have an impact on the rest of the campaign. “It’s a question that concerns the Argentine coach,” he told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s home game against struggling Rayo Vallecano. “Messi’s call, he escapes from my field. That Leo was going to return, we all knew, sooner or later. We see it naturally and I do not care at all, it’s no change from other years.”
Barcelona
“I have to make a list, I’ve got five players who can play in attack, someone has to stay out and this time it’s been
But Valverde is adamant Madrid’s chances of reclaiming the league have not been ended, while he opted not to gloat over Barca’s rivals suffering a shock Champions League exit at the hands of Ajax this week. “I do not discard them out of respect and mathematics,” he continued. “36 points remain, it’s true that we lead them by 12, but what we think is that our rivals, even those with a margin, can fight for the title. I do not rule out any team for the league, nobody does it, it’s true that Atletico are the closest rival, our intention is to keep our distance and that means we’re winning the matches. “We see the crisis of Madrid from a distance and with respect, football is the way it is, football can change things in a week. We have nothing to say, we know how difficult it is to win the Champions League and it helps us to be more attentive. Nobody is safe.”