Barcelona have been dealt a huge blow ahead of their La Liga opener against Athletic Bilbao after it was confirmed that Lionel Messi will not feature in the game.
The Argentina international has been nursing a calf injury for the past few weeks and it ruled him out of the club's pre-season tour to the United States.
The club had been hoping he will be fit for the game against the Basque side but it now appears he has been ruled out of the clash.
Ernesto Valverde is expected to hold a press conference today ahead of the clash and will confirm Messi's absence from the game.
https://twitter.com/goalstv3/status/1161973244871794688
Nevertheless, Barcelona are still well-stocked in attack with Griezmann expected to make his debut following his big-money move from Atletico Madrid, while the likes of Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele and Phillipe Coutinho are also in line to play.
I wish him speedy recovery,the most complete and talented footballer of this generation.