Barcelona, April 22, 2016 (AFP) —
Lionel Messi has been passed fit for Barcelona’s Primera Liga encounter with Sporting Gijón but Real Madrid will have to do without Cristiano Ronaldo this weekend.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said Messi will be fit for Saturday’s match despite suffering a series of knocks in Barca’s 8-0 hammering of Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday.
“He didn’t have much luck with the blows in the game the other day, but he trained today and is in perfect condition,” Enrique said on Friday.
Only Barca’s superior head-to-head record separates them from Atletico Madrid at the top with four games remaining, while Real Madrid are only a point further back in third.
The Catalans have a favourable run-in on paper, but face three sides in Sporting, Espanyol and Granada who are fighting to avoid relegation at the other end of the table.
“We have to continue what we saw against Deportivo in the four games that remain. It will interesting at the top and the bottom.”
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However, Enrique again rejected suggestions that his refusal to rotate the star front three of Messi, Suarez and Neymar in particular had been the cause of Barca’s slump in the past month.
“My decisions depend on what the team needs.
“I normally make changes if I see the possibility to improve the team or due to tiredness. Last year I rotated a lot and people didn’t like it then either.”
Meanwhile, Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed Ronaldo will miss his side’s visit to Rayo Vallecano to ensure he will be fit for their Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg at Manchester City on Tuesday.
The club confirmed that Ronaldo suffered a thigh strain as he hobbled off towards the end of Madrid’s 3-0 win over Villarreal on Wednesday.
However, Zidane said that he has had to convince the three-time World Player of the Year — who has been an ever-present for Madrid in the league this season — to sit out the trip to Vallecas.
“He won’t play against Rayo. He’ll stay at home and we’ll see for the next game,” Zidane said on Friday.
“He wanted to play tomorrow, but he knows that it isn’t possible. We’ve had to put the brakes on him and he knows his mind has to be on City.”
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