Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde won't rush Lionel Messi's return from injury.
Valverde explained that he doesn't want to reintroduce Messi if it could mean the player suffering a more serious setback.
"The fact he isn't available is significant, I won't deny that," he said of the forward's continued absence at a press conference on Friday, ahead of the weekend's LaLiga Santander match against Valencia.
"He is a decisive player, especially against teams that sit deep.
"We hope that he'll be back soon and we especially hope that he returns well because we don't want to take a backwards step.
"We don't know if he'll be ready for Tuesday [against Borussia Dortmund] or if it'll be later.
"We'll manage it all in the way we think is the best.
"We need to use the whole squad and I think we have the squad to do this.
"While it's true that we notice Messi's absence, it's true that it can be an opportunity for other players to take a step forward."
