Messi, Suarez, Neymar rested for Catalunya Super Cup

Barcelona's vaunted attacking triumvirate has been granted a "well-deserved" break until Thursday, excluding Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar from Tuesday's derby against Espanyol.

The Catalan outfits will face each other in the Catalunya Super Cup - a mini-tournament contested within the autonomous region. The game doesn't take on as much meaning as it once did, with Barcelona and Espanyol using their B sides in the preceding Copa Catalunya.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Javier Mascherano, Lucas Digne, Sergi Roberto, and Samuel Umtiti will also have an opportunity to rest until Thursday's training session.

It's a wise move considering Barcelona's recent injury trouble. Gerard Pique (ankle), Jordi Alba (hamstring), and Andres Iniesta (knee) all suffered blows over the past week of action.

The Blaugrana then have to prepare for a run of three games in eight days, including difficult fixtures against Sevilla and Manchester City.