Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said Monday that Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong will not feature against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League this midweek, instead being given a rest. “We’ve decided not to take Leo or Frenkie because our situation in the Champions League is quite comfortable,” Koeman told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s game. Messi, 33, has played every Barca match so far this season and also played the full 90 minutes for Argentina four times over October and November. Midfielder De Jong, who is 10 years Messi’s junior, has also played every match for the Catalan giants as well as five international fixtures for the Netherlands in the same period. “Sometimes, you have to protect your players because the calendar is incredible.”Injuries to several key players including Ansu Fati, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique have forced Koeman to rotate.

Source: Punch November 23, 2020 12:56 UTC