Luis Enrique: Barcelona keen to 'enjoy' fully fit Lionel Messi

ByEurosport

Updated 24/11/2015 at 09:10 GMT

Lionel Messi is set for his first start for nearly two months when Barcelona - fresh from pulverising Real Madrid 4-0 at the weekend - host Roma. It is little wonder Luis Enrique is relishing his return with confidence high in the Barca squad.

A draw will be enough for last season's treble winners, five points clear at the top of Group E, to reach the last 16 for a 12th consecutive season and have Messi ready to start having come on as a substitute against Real on Saturday.

Messi had been out injured since the end of September but Barca have coped well without their talisman with strike partners Neymar and Luis Suarez in blistering form.

Suarez hit two and Neymar got another in the demolition of Real, taking the pair's total to 19 goals in seven games.

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"He is back fit and this is a joy for us - to see the greatest player back again and now we get to enjoy him," said Enrique.

"Messi is fully recovered, he is already in the right frame of mind and his injury is forgotten. He has to recover his muscle tone and his form, but you have to play to recover that.

"I've always got on well with Messi," added Enrique when asked about his relationship with the Argentina forward.

"I've always had good relationships with most of my players. I empathize more with some than others, but that is normal, like in school with classmates, but my relationship with all my players is good. What happens in the locker room stays there."

Midfielder Ivan Rakitic returned after a calf injury in the 4-0 flogging of Real Madrid, and lavished his team-mates with praise for the level of their performance.

"It was a great performance. We can enjoy it now but we have some very difficult games ahead starting with Roma,"

"Messi is a very important player and thank god he is back playing with us. His injury (knee ligament) was more serious than mine and he needed longer to recover but we all know how vital he is to the team."

Messi

Image credit: AFP

Roma and Barca drew 1-1 in the Italian capital in September.

Suarez gave Barca the lead but Alessandro Florenzi scored an extraordinary goal from a seemingly impossible position on the right touchline, nearly 50 metres from goal, to level.

Roma, second in the group one point ahead of Bayer Leverkusen and two clear of BATE Borisov, were held 2-2 in heavy rain on Saturday by lowly Bologna and are fourth in Serie A.

"We battled hard and tried to play our game despite the weather and the main thing is that we got a point," full-back Maicon told reporters.

"It will be a different type of game on Tuesday and we are going to have to step up a level."

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