YOKOHAMA (Reuters) – Barcelona forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar are still doubtful for the Club World Cup final against River Plate, coach Luis Enrique told reporters on Saturday. Messi missed Thursday’s semi-final against Guangzhou Evergrande because of pain casued by a kidney stone and Neymar was recovering from a small strain in his adductor muscle. “The two are improving,” said Luis Enrique without giving further details. Team captain Andres Iniesta added. “They haven’t been able to train and it will depend on how their sensations, I hope they can play.” European champions Barcelona meet River, their South American counterparts, on Sunday. Messi never played professionally in Argentina and has faced an Argentine side only once before, when Barcelona met Estudiantes in the 2009 final. (editing by Justin Palmer) 

Dhruv George is EssentiallySports’ foremost authority on motorsport and a founding member of the outlet’s NASCAR desk. A Journalism graduate fluent in English and French, he brings over eight years of motorsports journalism experience covering everything from high-octane NASCAR battles to the finesse of Formula 1 and MotoGP. His extensive paddock access has earned him exclusive interviews with top names such as <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/exclusive-interview-gasly-honda-stint/">F1’s Pierre Gasly</a> and Moto2’s Tony Arbolino, cementing his reputation as a trusted voice among racing fans.

Known for his candid opinions, Dhruv isn’t afraid to tackle contentious officiating calls, most recently defending Joey Logano after the DYL penalty in Phoenix. Before focusing on NASCAR as a Senior Writer, Dhruv contributed extensively to EssentiallySports’ coverage of <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-what-connects-nascar-legend-dale-earnhardt-and-formula-one/">F1 and NASCAR</a>, building a versatile and impactful sports portfolio.

https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Dhruv_George.png

Dhruv George

FC Barcelona training

Messi, Neymar still doubtful for Club World Cup final

Football

title

link

twitter:card

twitter:creator

twitter:site

twitter:label1

twitter:data1

EssentiallySports is a U.S.-based sports media platform built for modern fandom. We go beyond headlines to create storylines powered by athletes, fans, data, and culture, giving equal energy to the mainstream and the overlooked.

EssentiallySports

https://www.staging.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/hijklmnop.jpg

Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino. He has been an ardent follower of motorsports sport since 2001, holding Carlos Sainz Jr. and McLaren in high regard.