Hobbled Messi misses Osasuna trip
Lionel Messi will not be part of Barcelona's squad for Saturday's visit to Osasuna as the Argentine recovers from a calf injury.
Messi, who has not made a competitive appearance for club or country since the Copa America third-place playoff victory over Chile in July, was not one of the 18 names included in Ernesto Valverde's first-team squad for the cross-country trip to Pamplona.
"Messi is still continuing with his recovery work," Valverde told a press conference on Friday, as relayed by ESPN FC.
Valverde also downplayed talk that Messi could be out for an additional month. "With the time we have now with the break, we hope he will be back for the Valencia game (on Sept. 14) and the Champions League game at Borussia Dortmund a few days later," the Blaugrana boss added.
The 32-year-old Messi was injured in preseason training and has not featured in either of Barcelona's opening two La Liga fixtures.
Joining him among Valverde's injury-related omissions for the visit to Osasuna are fellow attackers Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele, and summer recruits Junior Firpo and Neto.