Barcelona head coach Frank Rijkaard confirmed that Brazilian star Ronaldinho will miss their Spanish league round-33 match against Villarreal after failing to recuperate from a mild injury. "Ronaldinho has not trained for a few days and is not quite back to his best, so I would rather rest him and have him back to full fitness for the next game," Rijkaard told the official Barcelona website on Thursday. Both sides are scheduled to play their UEFA Champions League semi-finals first-legs, where Barcelona will face Italian giants AC Milan, while Villarreal play against Premiership outfit Arsenal next week. "We both have important European commitments, but we are both also focused on the league," Rijkaard said. On the other hand, the Dutch coach expressed his happiness in Mexican player Rafa Marquez's comeback after a recuperation period and stressed his importance in the team. "It is great news that he [Marquez] has been given the medical all-clear. He is an important player in this team," Rijkaard insisted. Rijkaard also insisted that the club were doing everything in their power to help Lionel Messi recover from a serious muscle strain. "I have spoken to his father and we are analysing the situation. Leo has to get fit again, and a change of air will do him good, because he is suffering as a result of not being in prime condition. He will travel with his physio and should be able to work away from all this anxiety," he said. Asked about a certain return date for Messi, Rijkaard said: "When he is ready, he will play. I don't think that this injury will have any effect on his presence and the way he performs at the World Cup in Germany." Barcelona top the La Liga standings with a tally of 70 points, while Villarreal hold eighth spot with 49 points.
