Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has explained leaving Ousmane Dembele on the bench at Chelsea last night.

Valverde insisted the Champions League clash "wasn't the time to experiment".

After the 1-1 draw, the coach stated: "He has spent a lot of time injured and for a match of these characteristics the coaches bet on the things that they know and that we have to look at more than an expectation.

"Aleix (Vidal) also gives us things, a different profile. When we came to a match of this calibre, I rely on the certainty that I have when I put Paulinho in the starting line up and then take Aleix Vidal out for more depth.

"It is not the time for experiments or testing. That's how I see it."