Ahead of his team's UEFA Champions League tie against FC Barcelona, Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has acknowledged the threat Lionel Messi carries, saying the Argentine "will be difficult to stop, but it's never impossible".
Read: I'm Up For Messi Challenge - Smalling
The Norwegian tactician faces arguably the biggest test of his managerial career at Old Trafford as the Red Devils go up against an in-form Barcelona outfit who are unbeaten in their past six games in all competitions.
Solskjaer has admitted that stopping the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and Barca as a whole will not be an easy task for United.
Watch: Giggs On Messi vs Ronaldo
"(Messi is) a fantastic player and he will go down in history as one of best ever," the United boss told Marca.
"He will be difficult to stop but it's never impossible; it's not like it's Messi against Manchester United.
"(They have Luis) Suarez, (Philippe) Coutinho, (Arturo) Vidal – so many good players, so we can't focus on one individual."
Solskjaer also insisted the Premier League giants have not devised a special plan to thwart Messi, and will instead focus on their strengths as a collective unit against the Spanish giants.
"What kind of plan can you have to stop one of the best players in the world? This season we have played Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus and Kylian Mbappe at (Paris Saint-Germain)," he added.
"Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, they will keep our defenders on our toes so let's see how we manage.
"Paul Pogba is looking forward to tomorrow. At Paul's best, he can run a game like this. I cannot see him not playing for Manchester United next season."
Read: The Highest-Paid Footballers In The World Today
The Red Devils will do duty against the Blaugrana at Old Trafford tongiht, with kick-off set for 21:00 SA time.
How many goals do think will Messi score tonight? Which side are you backing to advance to the semis, Barca or United? Have your say in the comments section below.
