Ernesto Valverde promised them happy when, before the break of selections, he predicted that Leo Messi could finally reappear in next Saturday's game against Valencia. It won't be like that. As the newspaper Sport advanced and was able to corroborate this newspaper, the Argentine forward will continue to drop . His presence at the premiere in the Champions League next Tuesday in Dortmund is a mystery.

Messi, who continues without training with his teammates, has not seen his discomfort subside in the soleus of his right leg. "Injury of the first degree," the Barca entity reported in the official part referred by its medical services. Both by the club, the coaching staff, but above all the soccer player himself, the zero risk criterion has been imposed against the treachery of a muscle that seemed already recovered before the match of the second day of the League against Betis. That was when the Argentine had to stop again and return to the infirmary. No specific deadline to leave it.

The last time Messi played a football match was on July 6 , during the match for third and fourth place against Chile of the last Copa América. That day, the striker only played 37 minutes when he was ejected after a clash with Medel. Much further is his last participation with the Barca shirt. Barcelona is sorry for the absence of its franchise player since the fall against Valencia in the final of the Copa del Rey del Benito Villamarín on May 25. Next Saturday will be four months.

Messi, who could no longer join the American summer tour, who did not play a single summer friendly and has already missed the first three league games (Athletic, Betis and Osasuna) , continues to leave Valverde without too many offensive options. Especially since Ousmane Dembélé continues on the stretcher. Broken in San Mamés, but diagnosed four days later so as not to miss a trip he had scheduled, he should return at the end of the month. Closer is the recovery of Luis Suarez, who on Wednesday was able to complete a part of the training with his teammates and could be part of the call against Valencia.

Valverde, who has been using Antoine Griezmann as a false center forward - a position that the former Atlético footballer has not just interpreted - will be able to relocate the Frenchman to the left bank when Luis Suarez returns. While Carles Pérez and the 16-year-old boy Ansu Fati, scorer in El Sadar, will continue for now in the first team.

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  • Luis Suarez
  • Ousmane Dembélé
  • Valencia
  • Leo Messi
  • Ernesto Valverde
  • America Cup
  • Chile
  • Antoine Griezmann
  • Ansu Fati
  • sports
  • FC Barcelona

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