10 - Lionel Messi - v2

[aaron101]

This recovery of Messi will only make him better physically. This time he gets to rest without any pressure. When he comes back, he's gonna be so fresh and will have better stamina.

 

[barcanuck]

This recovery of Messi will only make him better physically. This time he gets to rest without any pressure. When he comes back, he's gonna be so fresh and will have better stamina.

Yeah I think he's really ramping up to be in top form by the World cup time.

 

[Djab]

Saw this gif in a brazilian forum... It's sooo wrong, but I can't stop laughing

Oh God

 

[DonAK]

Says that Messi is the BEST player today.

 

[coura]

William Hill spokesman Tony Kenny said: “It seems the momentum is behind Messi. The market has changed over the last few days. Ronaldo remains the 4/6 favourite – although he has drifted from 4/11. Messi has come in the betting from 4/1 into 11/10 – this is market forces and punter support – which is probably linked to the Agencia story. Ribery is out to 10/1 having been even money favourite in June.
“It’s a really strange market – and certainly we’ve never seen anything like it.”

That agency twitter has spread. lol

 

[Kerrybai]

I bet a few people at Agencia bet on Messi right before they broke the story ...

 

[barca1899]

Barcelona team doctor Pruna and physical coach Paolorosso will next week travel to Argentina to see how Messi's recovery is going. [sport]

 

[Luftstalag14]

So Messi might not return in time for the Atletico game. Not good for us at all.

No guarantee Messi will be fit for Jan

05 December 2013, 19:30

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino has said he can't guarantee that World Player of the Year Lionel Messi will be fit to feature when his side return to action after the Spanish winter break in January.

Messi was ruled out for the rest of the year after tearing his hamstring last month and in his absence Barca have suffered two consecutive defeats for the first time since March.

The Catalans' unbeaten start to their La Liga campaign was ended by a 1-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao last weekend just five days after Martino had tasted defeat for the first time as Barca boss in a 2-1 reverse away to Ajax.

Messi is currently back in Argentina continuing his recovery and is expected to return to Barcelona at the beginning of January.

However, Martino refused to confirm that his compatriot would definitely be fit for a return to action at the start of 2014 with Barca set to visit joint La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid on January 12.

"He is working as planned, completing the different stages of his recovery. We hope that he will be ready at the start of January, but the closer we get to the date we will see if he needs more time," said the coach.

"We cannot guarantee when he will be ready, what interests us more is that he has completely recovered."

Despite still leading La Liga, and having already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, Martino and his players have come in for some severe criticism from local media due to their back-to-back defeats.

However, he is hoping that the critics will force a response from his players when they travel to face third-tier Cartagena in the first-leg of their Copa del Rey tie on Friday.

"There are two options; that the pessimism harms us or makes us even stronger.

"We are full of optimism. We need to transform that into the matches. We need to show that we are going to fight and there is a reason why we are top of the league and in the Champions League last 16.

"I don't want to say that we are not worried by losing two games, but we are not loaded by pessimism."

Martino has received a boost on the injury front as left-back Jordi Alba is fit enough to be included in the squad for the Cartagena match for the first time in nearly three months.

Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta will not travel to Murcia due to calf and hamstring niggles respectively.

Gerard Pique has also been rested, but Carles Puyol returns after missing the defeat in Bilbao due to a knee problem.

 

[Galning]

It was never a guarantee from the start.

 

[barca1899]

 

[Mitchell1978]

So Messi might not return in time for the Atletico game. Not good for us at all.

The most important thing is that he returns at 100 % even if he missed that game. I think they should bring him slowly in January even if that means missing the Atletico game.

 

[Luftstalag14]

The most important thing is that he returns at 100 % even if he missed that game. I think they should bring him slowly in January even if that means missing the Atletico game.

I agree, I was referring to our dwlindling chances of beating Atletico without Messi.

 

[footyfan]

I agree, I was referring to our dwlindling chances of beating Atletico without Messi.

Please please please stop with the negativity.

Please.

 

[Messi10]

Top scorer of the World Cup

 

[KhaledBarca]

Perfect Scenario with Messi being the Top Scorer with couple of assists