Lionel Messi has been left out of the FC Barcelona squad that will head to Ukraine for their next UEFA Champions League outing, and manager Ronald Koeman has explained why.
The Catalans face Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday night, and Messi is not part of the 19-man squad selected for the encounter, with Koeman deciding to rest the superstar.
The Spanish giants will also not have Frenkie de Jong at their disposal, while Samuel Umtiti, Ronald Araujo, Ansu Fati, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique are out injured.
"We have decided that Messi and De Jong will not travel because the situation in the Champions League is quite comfortable with the points we have, and these two players need to rest, they play a lot of games," Koeman said while addressing the media at a press conference.
Messi has been vital for the Blaugrana in the Champions League so far this season, scoring three goals and providing two assists in just three games.
Barca are in Group G, and already have nine points from their opening three matches, which sees them top of the group.
