Messi not in Barcelona squad for Zaragoza trip

Lionel Messi

The forward has been rested after recent hamstring problems as a precaution ahead of the club's Champions League semifinal later in April as well as Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba

Lionel Messi has been left out Barcelona's squad to face Zaragoza on Sunday evening, as have Andres IniestaSergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

The Argentine, who has won the Ballon d'Or four times in a row, missed last weekend's 5-0 thrashing of Mallorca due to a hamstring problem picked up in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Paris Saint-Germain days earlier, which finished 2-2.

Missing that match at Camp Nou ended Messi's goalscoring streak in La Liga at a record-breaking 19 games and he will once again be absent against the relegation candidates this weekend.

The Blaugrana star started on the bench in the second leg against PSG but came on to make an important impact at Camp Nou to set up Pedro to score the equalizer and see the 2011 European champions through to the last four by the skin of their teeth.

His absence is likely to ensure that he is fully fit for Tito Vilanova's side's clash with Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with the first leg kicking off on April 23 at the Allianz Arena.
Iniesta and Alba have been left out the squad for "coaching reasons" which will be to give them a rest, while fellow regular first-teamer Busquets suffered discomfort and misses out and reserve goalkeeper Jose Pinto has had back problems and does not travel ahead of Sunday's match.

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