Lionel Messi in doubt for Spanish Super Cup final

FC Barcelona will be aiming to win their first trophy since 2019 on Sunday, when they face Athletic Club de Bilbao at the Supercopa de España final ( Spanish Super Cup). However, captain Lionel Messi is still in doubt and manager Ronald Koeman has admitted that the decision to play is in the Argentine's hands .

The specific details of Messi's injury have not been revealed but he skipped the club's semi-final against Real Sociedad last Wednesday. However, his issues do not appear to be serious and the period of rest may have been enough for him to feel fit enough to play the final.

Marca shared details of Koeman's press conference ahead of the match. The Dutchman said, "He'll have the final say. He knows his body. We have to wait and see how his niggles progress. We're hopeful that he'll play. If you have the best [players], you have a better chance of winning, and even more so if you have the best player in the world.

Koeman also admitted that his players will benefit from Messi's "creativity and efficiency," which the team finds itself lacking at times.

The six-time Ballon d''Or winner skipped training on Thursday, and trained alone on Friday. However, he was spotted with the rest of the squad on Saturday.

Koeman knows how much he and his players need to win the match, considering the rough patch that they have been going through in the past year. "In order to show that we're on track, it's important to win things. We know it's not the most important trophy we're playing for, but it's a trophy. Winning things allows you to say that you're on the right track," he said.

A trophy might also help the club convince Messi to stay, that is if the incoming administration still wants him.