- Title: Messi and Dembele in Barca squad for crunch Inter game
- Date: 1st October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) FC BARCELONA PLAYERS ARRIVING FOR TRAINING SESSION VARIOUS OF FC BARCELONA FORWARD, LIONEL MESSI ARRIVING FOR TRAINING SESSION PLAYERS WARMING UP FC BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, DURING TRAINING SESSION MESSI RUNNING DURING SESSION FC BARCELONA PLAYER, ANTOINE GRIEZMANN, ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA PLAYER, ANTOINE GRIEZMANN, ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH LIONEL MESSI, SAYING "Well, in the end, he is not someone who speaks a lot in person, and me neither, so it is hard for us to talk to each other. But I already brought him a few mates (Argentinian tea) so we are in the right direction. And also he has been injured many times so it's complicated on the pitch and during training to work on this connection, but I think we are two good guys and I am here to help any person on the team." TRAINING SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA PLAYER, ANTOINE GRIEZMANN, ON INTEGRATING INTO THE BARCA ATTACK, SAYING: "Well, it's always harder when Ousmane, Leo, Ansu and Luis are not there, as they are all injured, so in the end we are not all together, and this is the worst, we can't work on the training nor in the matches, but we have to find the best possible way. It could be Cales Peres or with Ansu when he trained, with me whether I am in or on the bench. We have a good team with very good players and most probably tomorrow we will find the right formula to win." TRAINING SESSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA PLAYER, ANTOINE GRIEZMANN, ON DEVELOPING AS A BARCA PLAYER, SAYING: "With time… I feel comfortable but I still need to improve on the pitch, especially my movement. With the ball I am ok, but sometimes I should get more involved in the game, I don't know, things that can be improved playing on the side. But as I said, I feel good, I am confident, but I know that I am still missing things to be the best possible Griezmann but I am on the right path." BARCELONA TRAINING FC BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, ON INTER MILAN, SAYING: "Well, they had a spectacular start to the season, they are winning all the matches in their league and so we are expecting a difficult and complicated game. Last year's experience only has half of its value, this is another Inter, it's a team marked by its coach, the tactical system that they use, that isn't very similar to the one we met with Chelsea two seasons ago, with these three centrals and two wing-backs. It will be different, but they are a solid team, difficult to score against them, and well, it's an important game for us." BARCA PLAYERS TRAINING VALVERDE DURING TRAINING SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, ON HIS SQUAD'S INJURY UPDATE, SAYING: "Yesterday, Ousmane (Dembele) only did the first part, very little, let's see if today he can do a little more. And Leo did half the training, a little more than half the session, let's see if he can finish it. I don't know, I don't know if we will be able to count on them or not." TRAINING SESSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FC BARCELONA COACH, ERNESTO VALVERDE, ON WHETHER LIONEL MESSI WILL PLAY AGAINST INTER, SAYING: "I don't know, we will wait, let's see how the training goes and depending on that we will decide. What we will not do is take any risks, I will reiterate what I have already said three times." VARIOUS OF BARCA PLAYERS TRAINING
- Embargoed: 15th October 2019 20:38
- Keywords: UEFA Champions League Barcelona Ernesto Valverde Inter Milan Messi Dembele Griezmann
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZ9NNLR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has named Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele in his squad for Wednesday's (October 2) Champions League match against Inter Milan, with both forwards declared fit after they took part in training on Tuesday (October 1).
Valverde however urged caution and insisted that the La Liga champions would not take any risks with Messi, and that the clash with Inter at the Camp Nou may come too soon for the Argentine.
Meanwhile, ex-Atletico forward, Antoine Griezmann that he was gaining confidence at the Catalan club but still had some work to do to reach his very best.
Messi limped off during Barca's 2-1 win over Villarreal last week after suffering an abductor injury while Frenchman Dembele has been nursing a thigh problem.
The Catalans will be without full back Jordi Alba, centre back Samuel Umtiti and 16-year-old winger Ansu Fati.
All four teams in Group F have one point, with Barca drawing 0-0 at Borussia Dortmund in their opener while Inter drew 1-1 at home to Slavia Prague.
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