Unfit Messi ruled out of season opener against Bilbao
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Friday
February 03, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 03, 2023
Unfit Messi ruled out of season opener against Bilbao

Sports

Reuters
16 August, 2019, 10:30 am
Last modified: 16 August, 2019, 10:30 am

Related News

  • Messi unsure whether he will play the next World Cup
  • 'I was sure that God was going to give me a World Cup'
  • I will return to live in Barcelona, it’s my home: Messi
  • Messi says he saw the support from Bangladesh and calls it 'a beautiful thing'
  • Messi breaks Cristiano Ronaldo record after PSG's win over Montpellier

Unfit Messi ruled out of season opener against Bilbao

Barca’s all-time top scorer and captain Messi injured his calf in training before his side’s brief pre-season tour of the United States and has not yet returned to full training a day before his side visit Athletic.

Reuters
16 August, 2019, 10:30 am
Last modified: 16 August, 2019, 10:30 am
Unfit Messi ruled out of season opener against Bilbao

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said he would not risk an unfit Lionel Messi in Friday’s La Liga opener against Athletic Bilbao and continued to be non committal about Neymar re-joining the club from Paris St Germain.

Barca’s all-time top scorer and captain Messi injured his calf in training before his side’s brief pre-season tour of the United States and has not yet returned to full training a day before his side visit Athletic.

Barcelona will be without Lionel Messi for their La Liga opener. pic.twitter.com/n0mUIM22Hv— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 15, 2019

Videos emerged on Thursday of the Argentine getting up to speed in individual training sessions on sand but Valverde said there was no chance he would gamble with Messi’s fitness.

“We never like to risk any players and much less someone like Leo,” Valverde told a news conference on Thursday.

“He still hasn’t returned to training with the team and while we are happy with his progress, individual training is very different to playing a match. We are going to wait and see.”

Lionel Messi looks ready for the new season to start... ??

? @OTRO pic.twitter.com/FnqYfborVa— SPORTbible (@sportbible) August 15, 2019

Barca have spent over 200 million euros on signings including Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann but continue to be linked with a second swoop for Neymar, two years after he left the Catalans for PSG for a world record 222 million euros ($246 million).

Valverde refused to answer questions about the club’s interest in Neymar and lamented the fact that the Spanish transfer window does not shut before the season starts, as it does in England.

“It’s inconvenient and it’s not logical. The normal thing would be that the team you start with is the same one that will compete for the whole season,” Valverde said.

“Now we have two weeks until the transfer window shuts and you can’t breathe easily until then. I’m very happy with the squad I have at the moment but I don’t know what will happen next.

“I am far removed from transfers and I’m focusing on the players I have for our first game,” he added.

“Neymar belongs to PSG and we’ll see what happens but I can’t say anything more about him.”

Barca’s game in Bilbao was only confirmed last Friday after a court case was settled between the league’s organising body and the Spanish football federation over scheduling games outside of the weekend.

Valverde criticised the two bodies for their handling of the situation.

“It seems incredible to me that the war over the match days and schedules was not solved before hand, the image of the league and federation has been damaged as a result,” he added.

Football

Lionel Messi / Barcelona FC / Ernesto Valverde

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Is the IMF to blame for growing pressure on your wallet?
    Is the IMF to blame for growing pressure on your wallet?
  • Dr Salehuddin Ahmed. Illustration: TBS
    Reforms in banking must to sustain financial sector
  • Why 2012 reforms were not done is a million-dollar question
    Why 2012 reforms were not done is a million-dollar question

MOST VIEWED

  • Rangpur prevail over Dhaka in Mirpur low-scorer
    Rangpur prevail over Dhaka in Mirpur low-scorer
  • Stats: Ageless Malik plays 500th T20 in Mirpur
    Stats: Ageless Malik plays 500th T20 in Mirpur
  • Shaheen Afridi gets married to Shahid Afridi's daughter
    Shaheen Afridi gets married to Shahid Afridi's daughter
  • Bale impresses on PGA tour debut
    Bale impresses on PGA tour debut
  • Photo: Fortune Barishal
    Shakib stars again as Barishal knock Khulna out of BPL
  • Love for Test cricket declining in India with IPL taking its place, claims Botham
    Love for Test cricket declining in India with IPL taking its place, claims Botham

Related News

  • Messi unsure whether he will play the next World Cup
  • 'I was sure that God was going to give me a World Cup'
  • I will return to live in Barcelona, it’s my home: Messi
  • Messi says he saw the support from Bangladesh and calls it 'a beautiful thing'
  • Messi breaks Cristiano Ronaldo record after PSG's win over Montpellier

Features

Andy Mukherjee. Sketch: TBS

What makes India's billionaires' support special for Adani

12h | Panorama
Photo: Rejaul Hafiz Rahi

A jackal farewell

13h | Earth
The trio spearheading the revival of book cover designs

The trio spearheading the revival of book cover designs

14h | Panorama
Six Jeep Wranglers and a special XJ Jeep Cherokee set out into the depths of Lalakhal, Sylhet for an experience of a lifetime. Photo: Ahbaar Mohammad

Jeep Life Bangladesh: A club for Jeep owners to harness the power of their vehicles

1d | Wheels

More Videos from TBS

A proper price formula can help investors to plan big

A proper price formula can help investors to plan big

1d | TBS Round Table
Rumors about Sarika that everyone thinks are true

Rumors about Sarika that everyone thinks are true

1d | TBS Entertainment
Mugging rife in Tejgaon, murder in Wari

Mugging rife in Tejgaon, murder in Wari

1d | TBS Current Affairs
What secrets are hidden behind Adani's wealth?

What secrets are hidden behind Adani's wealth?

1d | TBS Stories

Most Read

1
Bapex calls candidates for job test 9 years after advert!
Bangladesh

Bapex calls candidates for job test 9 years after advert!

2
Leepu realised his love for cars from a young age and for the last 40 years, he has transformed, designed and customised hundreds of cars. Photo: Collected
Panorama

'I am not crazy about cars anymore': Nizamuddin Awlia Leepu

3
Photo: Collected
Energy

8 Ctg power plants out of production

4
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
Economy

IMF approves $4.7 billion loan for Bangladesh, calls for ambitious reforms

5
Photo: Collected
Court

Japanese mother gets guardianship of daughters, free to leave country

6
Fund cut as Dhaka's fast-track transit projects on slow spending lane
Infrastructure

Fund cut as Dhaka's fast-track transit projects on slow spending lane

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]