Messi named to bench for Barcelona's trip to Juventus

Barcelona won't be relying on Lionel Messi in Italy.

In a decision that surprised everybody, Messi was named to Barcelona's bench for the Blaugrana's Champions League battle at Juventus on Wednesday.

Barcelona's front three will see Gerard Deulofeu line up alongside Luis Suarez and Paulinho, while the midfield will feature Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, and Andres Iniesta.

When Barcelona and Juventus clashed at Camp Nou on the first matchday of the Champions League's group stage, the Catalan club knocked the Old Lady over with a 3-0 victory as Messi scored twice.