Barcelona talisman, Lionel Messi was allowed to sit out training at the club on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated trip to Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
Ronald Koeman gave him the permission to sit out the training session alongside teammates Frenkie de Jong and Miralem Pjanic.
According to Diario AS, he was given the exemption because he did not return from international duty until Wednesday evening. This was seen as beneficial for him in order to avoid any injury setback.
His return at the airport in the Catalan capital on Wednesday became a headline when he told reporters of being tired of always being pointed at as the problem of the club following a question about his relationship with Antoine Griezmann.
“I’m tired of always being the problem for everything at the club,” he said.
‼️⚽️ Leo Messi, a su llegada a Barcelona, preguntado por las declaraciones del tío de Antoine Griezmann
— El Larguero (@ellarguero) November 18, 2020
🗣️ “Estoy un poco cansado de ser el problema de todo en el club”pic.twitter.com/tiaVi81D4D
Messi won’t have Suarez as he set to train for the Athletico Madrid clash
It could be recalled that Messi became the subject of discussion at Barcelona when he tendered a transfer request, which was eventually turned down by the club.
This left his future at the club beyond this current campaign remain unclear as he is yet to pen a new deal. His current deal expires in June 2021.
He also criticized Barca for pushing former teammate, Luis Suarez, who is now with Athletico out by terminating his contract. Unfortunately, there won’t be a reunion this time around between them as he is currently on isolation.
The duo has already formed a partnership that produced over 500 goals for the Catalan giant.
Messi is expected to return to training today alongside Pjanic and De Jong and will be fit for the trip to Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday.
Barcelona is currently 8th on the log with 11 points, nine points behind Real Sociedad with two games in hand.
