Messi gets Sporting nod from Barca

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has included Argentine forward Lionel Messi, who has struggled with a thigh strain, in his squad for the Champions League match away to Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday.

Guardiola rested the 21-year-old playmaker because of the injury during Barcelona’s 1-1 draw against Getafe on Sunday, the first time the club has not won at home in over two months.

“Messi is a necessary player, a special player, a very good player… but I’ve got others,” he said of Messi’s absence after the match.

“Now we need to rest a bit and get ready for Wednesday’s game to try to secure top spot in the group,” he added.

Messi, a candidate for the prestigious Ballon d’Or awarded by French magazine France Football in December, has already suffered five major muscular injuries in the past three seasons.

Meanwhile Guardiola will rest defender and usual captain Carles Puyol as well as Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure for Barcelona’s match against Sporting.

Barcelona head to Portugal on top of Group C with 10 points from four games, one point ahead of Sporting Lisbon.