There is some good news and some bad news for the FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi fans ahead of the Catalan side’s Copa del Rey second leg encounter at the Mestalla stadium against Valencia CF on Wednesday.
The bad news is that Lionel Messi, who’s kidney has been troubling him since the latter parts of last season, will have to go for tests on Tuesday. However, the good news is that the FC Barcelona star is set to be fully fit for their match against Valencia on Wednesday.
“FC Barcelona striker Lionel Messi will undergo several tests on Monday and Tuesday to assess the evolution of the kidney problems he suffered last December. Messi will return to his normal duties with the first team on Wednesday,” said the club in a statement on their official website.
Do Barca really need Messi at the Mestalla?
The first leg of the tie, which was held at the Camp Nou a week back, ended with Barcelona defeating Valencia 7-0. While it does seem unlikely that Luis Enrique would field a full strength lineup against Los Che, whether the Blaugrana really need to risk Messi by fielding him in the match if the Argentine star is not fully fit is questionable.
Neville under pressure
While the Catalans would be looking to cruise their way to the final of the Copa del Rey, it is a completely different story as far as Valencia CF manager Gary Neville is concerned. The former Manchester United captain has so far been unable to get his side out of their slump, and the 7-0 mauling by Barcelona has not gone down too well with the fans. A good result in this match seems improbable, but might greatly ease the pressure on Neville.
