This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
Barcelona's title defence in La Liga is set to begin on Friday against Athletic Bilbao, but the team will be without their star player Lionel Messi due to a calf injury.
According to coach Ernesto Valverde, Messi sustained the injury in training last week and has not been able to train or play with the team ahead of the match.
"We are not going to take risks with any player, even less with Leo," Valverde said in a press conference on Thursday.
Valverde also addressed the ongoing dispute between the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and La Liga, which was settled by a judge last week.
La Liga claim Friday and Monday fixtures are important for existing television deals, while the RFEF want them scrubbed due to their unpopularity with some fans.
Despite the controversy, Valverde believes that playing on Fridays or Mondays does not matter, and that the real issue is the constant conflict between the federation and the league.
Barcelona are attempting to win La Liga for the third time in a row after finishing 11 points clear of Atletico Madrid last season.
They have been boosted by the signings of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico and Frenkie de Jong from Ajax, and Valverde is confident that the team can repeat their success.
