MADRID: While Barcelona remain silent about Lionel Messi’s health, Real Madrid’s only concern is who to leave out for their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
Messi, the all-time top-scorer in Spanish football as well as in the ‘Clasico’, ended Barca’s 2-2 draw with Valencia on Saturday with a knock.
And the suspense about Messi’s right leg injury entered a third day on Tuesday, with Barca still quiet about the full extent of the problem and not saying whether he will be available.
It was an unusual delay by the club, which normally is quick to release reports about its players’ injuries.
Real coach Santiago Solari said the uncertainty wasn’t affecting his team’s preparations.
“It’s always good to have the best players playing in every match,” he said on Tuesday. “Whether he plays or not, it’s not going to influence how we prepare for the game.”
If Messi plays it will be because he is fit. Barca have indicated they will not risk their captain with a gruelling month ahead.
The draw at home to Valencia means their lead in La Liga is six points over Atletico Madrid and eight over Real, but with games away to Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and then Real in the next four weeks, there is little room for complacency.
Dotted between are two legs against Lyon in the Champions League, the holy grail for Barcelona this season, and perhaps the one trophy they really crave after years of underachievement.
Messi has scored in nine straight games in all competitions, and is the league leading scorer with 21 in 22 matches.
He was out with a broken arm the last time Spain’s two biggest clubs met, back in October. But Barca barely missed their talismanic forward, thrashing Real 5-1 in what proved to be Julen Lopetegui’s last game in charge before Solari took over.
Real, who are third in the La Liga standings but cut their gap behind leaders Barca to eight points after beating Alaves on Sunday, are looking to end Barcelona’s run of four consecutive Copa del Rey triumphs and reach the final of the competition for the first time since 2014, when they beat the Catalans 2-1.
They arrive for the first-leg match at Camp Nou enjoying their best period of the season and with nearly all of its players available. Solari has all of his best forwards, including an in-form Karim Benzema, the quickly maturing Vinicius Junior, and a fully fit Gareth Bale.
“It’s harder when you have all the players available, because it means you have to leave someone out,” Solari said. “It’s one of the hardest parts of the job for a coach.”
Bale is one of the many Madrid players who have recovered from injury in recent days, along with other forwards Mariano Diaz and Marco Asensio. Bale returned as a starter on Sunday alongside Benzema and Vinicius Junior as Alaves were beaten 3-0, the team’s fifth consecutive win in all competitions.
Solari may not start Bale with Vinicius on Wednesday as they usually play on the same part of the field and their presence could make the squad too unbalanced and more vulnerable defensively.
There is little doubt Benzema will start, as he has six goals in the last four matches. The French striker has 18 goals, six more than he had in all of last season.
It would also be hard to leave out Vinicius, who has taken full advantage of Bale’s absences to become a regular starter and a popular player with Madrid fans. The 18-year-old Brazilian has added flair to the attack.
This first leg clash is the first of three matches between the rivals in less than a month.
