BARCELONA - Lionel Messi was back training on Saturday,
although he did not join the session with his Barcelona team-mates.
Messi had missed the Friday session at the club's Joan Gamper
Football City and Barcelona said "the captain has a small muscle
contraction in the quadriceps of his right leg."
On Saturday he was out on the Camp Nou pitch, but trained with Nelson
Semedo, who has a slight knee problem, and not with the rest of the
team.
Barcelona are hopeful he will be fit for Saturday's visit to Mallorca
when the team play the first of their remaining 11 matches in La
Liga. They have a two-point lead over second placed Real Madrid.
It was also widely reported in Spanish media on Saturday that on
Wednesday of the coming week, a clause in Messi's contract, that
allows him to leave the club on a free transfer this summer, expires.
According to the reports Messi had to inform the club by June 10 if
he wanted to exercise the clause, and the fact that he has not done
so means he will be at Barcelona at least into the final year of his
contract which runs until 2021.
Barcelona return to action from the coronavirus-enforced suspension
away to Mallorca on June 13. They lead La Liga by two points from
arch-rivals Real Madrid with 11 games remaining.