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Messi’s return great news for Barca: Enrique
BARCELONA: Barcelona maestro Lionel Messi is fully recovered from injury and should make his comeback against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, coach Luis Enrique
BARCELONA: Barcelona maestro Lionel Messi is fully recovered from injury and should make his comeback against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, coach Luis Enrique said.
The five-time World Player of the Year has resumed full training after sustaining a groin injury in the 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid last month.
“Leo has been training with the team since Wednesday and at a high level. When you come back from injury you need minutes, in games and in training, and so I’ll speak with him tomorrow to decide, but in theory he’s available,” Luis Enrique told a news conference on Friday.
France international defender Samuel Umtiti is also available after recovering from a knee ligament injury as Barca also prepare for a heavyweight Champions League clash with Premier League leaders Manchester City next Wednesday.
“The great news is that we have recuperated two injured players in Leo and Samuel,” Luis Enrique said on Friday.
Barca won two of three games without all-time top scorer Messi, winning 5-0 at Sporting Gijon and labouring to a 2-1 victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach, but they lost 4-3 at Celta Vigo before the international break.
“You notice it when any player is missing and when you are talking about the best player of all time then any team would be affected by that, but our challenge is to accept it, as we did last season,” added Luis Enrique.
REAL NEED MORE TO HALT SLUMP: ZIDANE
MADRID: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he is unaffected by criticism but admitted his side need to improve in all areas as they try to end a run of four games without a win when they travel to Real Betis on Saturday.
Real have drawn their last four games in all competitions, the first time they had done so in over a decade, and are missing four key players for the game with Betis, who were the first team to take points off Zidane last season.
“I’m not going to comment on what people say, I have always accepted criticism. I was critical of myself when I was a player and I’m going to the same now,” Zidane said on Friday.
“I know where I am and I know if you draw three league games you have to change something. The players know that too, we need more concentration, more of everything.”
The chief criticism aimed at Zidane is a failure to instill a recognisable style of play in nine months in charge, despite guiding Real to Champions League glory last season and overseeing 16 consecutive league wins.
