16 year-old Guinea-Bissau forward takes Messi’s place against Real Betis

16 year-old Guinea-Bissau’s Ansu Fati has replaced Lionel Messi in Barcelona’s matchday squad for Sunday’s La Liga game against Real Betis.

Ansu plays as a forward for Barcelona’s Juvenil A side and been training for the past week, according to Mari Carmen Torres, Billy Munday [Marca].

Barcelona will be without Lionel Messi, who is set to miss the club’s first pair of games this season, following an injury sustained in pre-season.

Similarly, the duo of Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele have been ruled out of Sunday’s game. Manager, Ernesto Valverde has called up Ansu and Abel Ruiz to take their places.

READ: https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/1324491/the-squad-to-play-betis?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=fcbarcelona&utm_campaign=6d6c7e0a-4aa5-44b7-88c5-68cf8448f640

According to Mundo Deportivo, Fati arrived at Sevilla three years ago and moved to La Masia in his teenage years.

If he plays against Betis on Sunday, Fati (16 years and 298 days old) will become the second youngest player in Barcelona’s history to feature in an official match.