Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has said that Lionel Messi is not on the club's pre-season tour of the United States because the Argentine "needs a holiday".
The Catalan outfit are currently preparing for the new season in Los Angeles, but Messi, along with the likes of Neymar, Dani Alves, Javier Mascherano and Claudio Bravo are not present.
All five took part in this summer's Copa America, and Enrique has revealed that the South Americans are currently enjoying a rest.
"Messi's season has almost been eternal and he needs to rest. Messi's not in the United States because he needs a holiday," Enrique told reporters.
"Everyone wants to see the great players, but they need to rest, it's key. It's normal that they want to be up close to Messi, Mascherano, Neymar, Alves, Bravo, etc... but their recovery is first and foremost."
Barcelona won La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey last season.
Written by
Matt Law
Matt Law
