Injured or tired? Reasons for Messi being on bench v Betis

Ronald Koeman surprised everyone this Saturday by leaving Lionel Messi on the bench against Real Betis. It was the first time he had been on the bench since 21st September 2019 in a Granada v Barca.

Just over a year later, Messi was once again on the bench and pictures showed him with a mask on and with a serius expression. 

When the '10' is on the bench, questions start to be asked. The club, according to 'AS', say it is a tactical decision while 'TV3' talked about an ankle injury. 

But the official version from Alfred Schreuder, Koeman's assistant, was that Leo Messi has played too many games. 

"If someone isn't fresh, he starts on the bench. He has played a lot of games," Schreuder told 'Movistar+'.