Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has reportedly decided to rest Lionel Messi for Saturday's meeting with Leganes.

The Catalan giants are currently competing in three different competitions, with the Copa del Rey final and at least three more Champions League games likely to come over the next few weeks.

That has left Valverde looking for solutions to maintain the fitness of his star man and according to Marca, Messi will start the game with Leganes on the bench.

With eight matches remaining, Barcelona hold a nine-point advantage at the top of the La Liga standings, giving Valverde some breathing space when it comes to selecting his team for this weekend's contest.

Messi has already made 41 appearances for Barca in all competitions this season, while the Argentine has only just recovered from an injury which kept him out of his nation's games at the end of March.