Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has admitted that he is unsure whether or not Lionel Messi will begin tomorrow night’s clash with Inter on the bench.
“I do not know if Messi will start on the bench or not but it is true that next Saturday we have a tough match against Real Sociedad and four days later El Clasico,” he said in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
He then briefly spoke on Inter manager Antonio Conte and the previous meeting between the two sides.
“Conte is a winner. When they played in Barcelona, Inter played a great game but they were not very lucky.”
Bartomeu then spoke on Arturo Vidal, who has drawn many links to Inter in recent weeks and months.
“We are not expecting any movement in the January window. We feel we have a balanced squad and therefore we cannot afford to lose anyone.
“What happens if he asks for a transfer? It will not happen in January but rather at the end of the season although in some cases we might let players go in January.”
Reports in the media have strongly linked Barcelona with a move for Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and Bartomeu proceeded to discuss these links.
“Inter are playing very well and he is not the only one of their players to have impressed me. It is no coincidence that the Nerazzurri are at the top of the Serie A table.”
