Messi, Coutinho, Ter Stegen rested by Barcelona in Champions League

Ronald Koeman has made a decision to shuffle his pack for a meeting with Ferencvaros, with three senior Barcelona stars asked not to make the trip to Hungary.
Argentinian Football legend Lionel Messi will sit out a
second successive Champions League match for Barcelona, with Ronald Koeman choosing
to leave the mercurial Argentine out of his plans for a meeting with
Ferencvaros.
Messi, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, played no part whatsoever
in the Blaugrana’s 4-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev on November 24.
This decision was made to hand the 33-year-old star a
well-earned rest as great progress was already being made through continental
competition.
Barca had no real need for Lionel Messi’s magic against the Ukrainian
team and will be hoping to see history repeat itself once again on Wednesday.
Koeman’s side will be heading for Budapest one day prior to
facing the Hungarian rival on a European stage.
They have thus far enjoyed a faultless run through their
Group G campaign, with maximum points earned from the four fixtures to date.
A place in the last-16 has already been secured, which means
that Koeman finds himself in the enviable position of being able to freely shuffle
his pack through two more battles.
Argentinian star Messi will be rested once again for the
first of those, with the intention being to keep him freshand ready for bigger challenges to come.
Koeman has remarked: "Considering this season’s
schedule, there are only two moments where Messi can rest, in Kyiv, and
tomorrow. From tomorrow, there will be no more opportunities. Qualifying
already also influences the decision."
Rotation within Barca’s ranks can also mean that Marc-Andre
ter Stegen will be given a much-deserved break between the sticks.
Philippe Coutinho is yet another senior star set to stay in
Catalunya as his team-mates go in search of yet another morale-boosting victory.
Frenkie de Jong was allowed a Champions League week off
alongside Messi against Dynamo Kiev, yet unlike Messi he does form part of the
travelling party.
Similarly, Clement Lenglet is in Koeman’s squad in spite of
nursing a slight knock.
This talented French defender picked up an ankle complaint
against Osasuna during the weekend to cast serious doubt over his possible involvement
against Ferencvaros.
007