Barcelona alarm bells as Lionel Messi sits out training

Barcelona news is centred on their start in the Spanish Supercopa tonight against Real Sociedad but fans will be concerned about news from training on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi and central defender Ronald Araujo both unexpectedly sat out the session, leading to doubts that they would participate in the game – as per Diario Sport.

It follows on from a press conference from Ronald Koeman on Tuesday that both players were in good condition to play the match on Wednesday evening.

The Blaugrana have risen to third in La Liga after a good run of form underlined by a strong week that saw them win three games away from home on the bounce. Their collective form has been elevated by Messi, who looks to really be enjoying his football for the first time this season.

They face La Real, who started like lightning but have fallen significantly in the standings. Initially touted as title contenders, they’ve now failed to win in 12 matches.