Barcelona is getting a nice gift when they start up their Copa del Rey match with Getafe on Wednesday from Camp Nou in the Round of 16, as they will have Lionel Messi back in the lineup and he returns to the pitch after dealing with an injury and now he is expected to start and play and that is great news for Barca as it ramps up its 2014 schedule with the Champions League looming.
Messi was out with a thigh injury and now he returns after working out in practice and feeling that he was back to full strength and it came after he dealt with a thigh injury and now he looks ready to return after being out for about two months. Barcelona has a big match coming up on Saturday against Atletico Madrid and with that in mind, there are a number of players who are expected to get back into the lineup and Messi will be playing to get into shape for the Saturday clash that is upcoming. Atletico Madrid is a co-leader of La Liga and that makes the match even more important. Barcelona played against Getafe at the end of 2013 and ended up winning 5-2 after falling behind by two goals and the club will not underestimate their opponents this time around.
Barcelona is tied with Atletico Madrid for the league lead over Real Madrid and with the 2014 schedule picking up, that match on Saturday will be huge and so are looming matchups with Sevilla, Valencia and Levante and later the team has to deal with the first leg of the Champions League against Manchester City and that will be at the Etihad Stadium in about a month and after that they play against Real Madrid later in March after the return leg.
Barcelona comes into the match after a 4-0 win at home against Elche and they also won big matches against FC Cartagena and Villarreal and that came after a trouncing of Celtic in their final first phase match against Celtic in the Champions League.
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Here is more on Barcelona and Lionel Messi, who is set to return to action after being injured and here is a story from Reuters.com on the star. Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has hit out at Javier Faus over comments the club vice president made questioning the need to improve the Argentine World Player of the Year's contract.
In unusually strong language for the mild-mannered 26-year-old, Messi told Catalan radio broadcaster RAC1 Faus knew "nothing about football" and denied demanding improved terms to the deal he signed in February that ties him to the Spanish champions until June 2018.
Faus, who oversees economic affairs at Barca, told RAC1 this month he did not understand why Messi would need a better contract given that he had only recently agreed a new one.
"Mr. Faus is a person who knows nothing about football and he wants to run Barcelona as if it were a company and it is not," Messi said from Buenos Aires, where he is continuing his recovery from a hamstring injury.
"Barcelona is one of the biggest clubs in the world and deserves to be represented by the best managers as well," he added.
"And apart from that, I remind you that neither I nor anyone in my circle has ever asked for either an increase (in salary) or a contract renewal. And he (Faus) knows that very well."
The spat between Messi and Faus is unlikely to have any lasting repercussions, particularly as the player has denied wanting more money.
Club president Sandro Rosell sought to calm the waters on Thursday, telling reporters he had not discussed the issue of an improved contract with Messi but adding that his office door was "wide open" any time Messi wanted to talk.
"I have no doubt that Messi should be the best-paid player in the world because he is the best footballer on the planet," Rosell said.
Messi's wages are the highest of any soccer player at up to $21.2 million a year, according to a list compiled by Forbes magazine in May.
He was the third-highest earner overall including sponsorship deals behind number one David Beckham and second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo.
(Reuters)
