Barcelona Superstar Lionel Messi to Be Granted Extra Rest Time to Prepare Him for Crucial Games

Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi is set to be managed carefully from now until the end of the season so that he can be fresh for the club's crucial games.

The Argentinian is an obvious ever-present for the Blaugrana, but with the club holding a healthy position at the top of La Liga, they can afford to periodically rest him to keep him fresh for big games like the Copa del Rey final and European clashes - as reported by Marca.

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Messi was rested against Juventus in the group stages of the Champions League, and after the clash he admitted he can no longer feature ever single game at the age of 30.

"Whenever I have to sit on the bench, I get disturbed because I don't like to be off [the field]. 

I like to participate, help from within, but I also understand that one season is long and that each day you have to take more care because the campaigns are getting tougher," he said.

Despite being 'only' 30, it is worth remembering that Messi, such has been his persistent quality down the years, has played an awful lot of football in his career to date.

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He has been an indispensable player for well over 10 years at the Nou Camp and has been afforded little chance to rest up, because he's hardly ever been properly injured in that time.

(You may also be interested inVIDEO: Lionel Messi Leaves Fans Speechless With Outrageous Skill in Open Training).

With the World Cup coming up this year, it will be important for Messi to keep himself in the best condition and so with the league title looking likely, it could be that he features less regularly in La Liga.