Messi has NOT been ruled out of Barça's game against Alaves

Lionel Messi has not been ruled out of Barcelona's match against Alaves at Camp Nou this weekend. The Argentine has been struggling with a groin problem since Barça's win over Athletic, but despite that he still took part in his country's game against Uruguay before returning to Spain on Sunday. 

He made his way to the training ground on Monday evening where he was seen to by the Catalan club's medical team, who have come to the conclusion that his participation against Alaves will be decided on Friday. As of today, everything suggests he will play because that's the will of the player, although there will be a meeting before a decision is taken. 

Messi will meet with the medical team and Luis Enrique throughout the week to evaluate how the injury progresses. He will rest for a couple of days but should be able to train from Wednesday or Thursday, before stepping up his recovery on Friday. If that all goes to plan, there's no reason he won't be involved against Alaves. 

The player himself posted the following message on Facebook to reassure his fans: "Everything is fine, I have to slow things down as I recover with physio, but it's nothing to worry about. Thanks to you all for your support."