They followed Leo Messi every step of the way, willing him to take his next step, then his next, then his next, from the Camp Nou to the Cruz Blau clinic and on towards the Santiago Bernabéu, his target and theirs. The countdown began the moment he tore the medial ligament in his left knee against Las Palmas and it has quickened as the clásico comes closer, but the tone has changed. It is different now: there is expectation not desperation, excitement instead of fear – and not just because Messi should now make it to Saturday evening’s match at Real Madrid.
A week ago, Messi ran; on Sunday, he shot; and on Tuesday he completed a training match. He scored, too, beating Marc-André ter Stegen in an 80-minute game held at Sant Joan Despí. Afterwards his sponsors revealed the boots he will wear at the Bernabéu. That’s “will”, not “might”. And the following morning Luis Suárez said he did not know if Messi would play from the start or as a substitute, which is one way of saying Messi will play. And if he doesn’t? If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. Suárez will and so will Neymar.
A recurring question has done the rounds recently: would you risk Messi in the clásico? Not long ago, the answer would have been: what kind of question is that? The fact it is even being asked is revealing. “You always miss Messi,” Andrés Iniesta said and that too was telling, a response to suggestions Barcelona have not. After all, however much everyone keeps saying Messi is irreplaceable, Suárez and Neymar have done some job of replacing him. If they have to extend that to one more game, even this game, so be it.
Since Messi made his debut, he has missed only two clásicos, in 2005-06 and 2007-08 , and Barcelona did not win either. They would rather he did not miss a third but they have never been better equipped to win without him.