Barca wrapping Messi in cotton wool

Posted Monday, August 12, 2013 by Marca.com

Leo Messi didn't play a single minute of Barça's last pre-season friendly, against a Malaysian XI. The Argentine stayed glued to the bench throughout, wearing flip-flops, and watched the action alongside his physio Juanjo Brau. Having tweaked his thigh in the run-up to the game, Barça wasn't about to gamble on the Argentine, who is being wrapped in cotton wool.

The pint-sized forward trained normally with the rest of the squad in the morning, only to start feeling twinges towards the end of the session. Initial tests revealed that there was nothing major wrong – it was simply a slight strain in his left thigh. Nevertheless, the decision was instant: Messi was to be withdrawn from the line-up.

Though the 40,000-strong Malaysian crowd rather wishfully chanted the Argentine's name periodically during the clash, hoping he might be brought on for a cameo, it was never to be. Messi is not a circus act and it is only natural that Barça is in no mood to gamble with his fitness.

Despite the knock, the 26-year-old will still be travelling to Rome to join up with the Argentina national team, which is set to face Italy in a friendly to honour Pope Francis, who will also be holding an audience to greet the players.

Notwithstanding Messi's failure to take to the pitch in Kuala Lumpur, Barça is still set to bank the full €3 million fee agreed for appearing in the friendly. This is because the contract signed back in February stipulated that the Argentine had to travel to Malaysia with the squad, but there was no clause obliging the 'Azulgranas' to field their star man.