Barcelona will aim to conclude what has been a disappointing La Liga season on a positive note when they take on Eibar on Saturday evening, but the Catalans will do so without their talismanic captain.
Lionel Messi has been granted early holiday to prepare for the Copa America and Barcelona confirmed that the Argentine forward will miss the final game of their La Liga campaign.
It remains to be seen whether Messi has played his final game for Barca, with his contract set to expire at the end of next month and new terms yet to be finalised.
Messi requested to leave Barcelona last summer, believing a clause in his contract would allow him to leave on a free transfer, before opting to stay as the club argued the clause was no longer valid.
Messi's future is one of many uncertainties that surround Barca heading into the off-season. The job status of manager Ronaldo Koeman and the club's dire financial situation - Barcelona recently secured a new €500 million ($609m) loan to move their overall debt up to €1.173 billion - are other major concerns.
However, the immediate focus is on Saturday and the trip to relegated Eibar as Barca aim to secure third place in La Liga and avoid a Champions League qualifier next season.
Barca lead fourth-placed Sevilla by two points and hold a far superior goal difference, so a draw at the bottom side will guarantee the Catalans third.
It will conclude a La Liga campaign that has fallen short of expectations and while Barcelona did win the Copa del Rey, they suffered a Round of 16 exit to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Ahead of their final game of the season, Koeman led his players on Friday for what could be his last training session as Barcelona manager. To see the best photos from the training session, browse through the gallery above.
The biog
Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Results
Women finals: 48kg - Urantsetseg Munkhbat (MGL) bt Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 52kg - Odette Guiffrida (ITA) bt Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 57kg - Nora Gjakova (KOS) bt Anastasiia Konkina (Rus)
Men’s finals: 60kg - Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) bt Francisco Garrigos (ESP); 66kg - Vazha Margvelashvili (Geo) bt Yerlan Serikzhanov (KAZ)
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Read more about the coronavirus
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
