Recent episodes of vomiting suffered by Barcelona forward Lionel Messi are “not normal,” but they do not affect his performance and there is no cause for alarm, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday.
Messi was sick during Argentina’s 0-0 draw with Romania on Wednesday and the four-time World Player of the Year said it was something that had occurred several times at Barca, but was nothing to be concerned about.
“It happens to him regularly and he has even gone to see specialists at certain times,” Martino told a news conference ahead of Barca’s La Liga game at Real Valladolid yesterday.
“They haven’t solved the problem, but it isn’t a cause for concern. It doesn’t affect him at all in terms of doing his job,” Martino added.
Champions Barca, chasing a fifth title in six years, can pull two points clear of Real Madrid at the top with a win at Valladolid, who are battling relegation down in 18th.
Real Madrid are at home to eighth-placed Levante UD today, while Atletico Madrid, three points off the top in third, played yesterday at RC Celta de Vigo, who are 11th.
Martino has Gerard Pique back after the Spain defender was declared fit by club medical staff on Friday, Barca said.
He missed the world and European champions’ 1-0 win at home to Italy on Wednesday due to a minor calf problem.
Pique’s international teammate, Andres Iniesta, withdrew from the squad on Friday “for personal reasons” and has been replaced by Netherlands midfielder Ibrahim Afellay, Barca added.
With an eye on Barca’s packed calendar this month, including Wednesday’s Champions League last-16, second-leg match against Manchester City, Martino said he had decided to rest left-back Jordi Alba for the Valladolid trip.
Alba was out for more than two months with a hamstring injury before Christmas and was briefly sidelined by a similar thigh problem last month.
Barca lead City 2-0 from their first-leg clash.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was