Tottenham's Vertonghen: I wouldn't complain if Messi doesn't play
The English side need a result to book their place in the next round of the Champions League
Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen recognises that his team's chances of beating Barcelona will grow if Ernesto Valverde decides to rest Lionel Messi.
Vertonghen stresses that Spurs are capable of beating any side but conceded: "I wouldn't complain if Messi doesn't play."
However, he's aware of the difficulty of the task regardless of the lineup Valverde picks, with Luis Suarez unlikely to feature as he returns from a knee problem.
The Belgian international said: "With or without Messi, we need to beat them. Even if Messi rests, the players they will have on the pitch will be incredibly strong. We know we have to be at our best.
"We have shown that we can beat the best teams in the world. We had a great performance against Real Madrid last season and they were the best team in the world at that moment."
Spurs need to match or better Inter Milan's result against PSV Eindhoven, with both teams level on seven points. The English side, though, boast the better head-to-head record.
"We have to think that Inter will be PSV at home and we have to do the same [against Barça]," Vertonghen added.
