Barcelona Stars Lionel Messi, Samuel Umtiti, and Jordi Alba Could Miss Potential Copa del Rey Final

Lionel Messi, Samuel Umtiti, and Jordi Alba are in danger of missing the Copa del Rey final even if Barcelona qualify due to yellow card accumulation.

Each is only one card away from suspension, and there is no rule that resets the count for the final.

Messi, of course, would be the biggest miss, but given that he’s a forward, he’s the least likely to receive a card. He should know not to dive in to any challenges, not to use his hands, and not to complain to the ref. Oh, and to tie his shoes off the pitch.

Umtiti and Alba though are more likely to be forced into a yellow. However, if Umtiti were to miss the final, Barcelona could possibly line up with Javier Mascherano in defense. Even if Umtiti is not suspended, Mascherano may still start. Alba’s replacement would probably be Lucas Digne.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves: this is all moot if Barcelona don’t advance against Atlético Madrid.