Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the La Liga clash between Celta Vigo and Barcelona from the Estadio de Balaidos. Kick off 17.00 GMT.

Celta haven’t really had too much of a touch of the ball yet. One way traffic at the moment. Alves gets in a good cross and it’s just over the head of Messi. Goal kick.

Barca give the ball away to Park but he too loses out. The ball is too heavy for Messi and Varas has it.

Bartra is occupying a central position with Pique unusually moving to the left. Alves brings it away from the back for Barcelona.

Montoya swings in a dangerous cross but it’s cleared away from goal by Celta.

Barca have started confidently, in complete control of the football. Passing it around in the neat triangles we’re so accustomed to. Looks like there will be a lot of defending from Celta tonight. No Xavi tonight don’t forget. Free kick to Barca for a foul on Montoya.

Barca attack down the right hand side and it is they who win the first free kick of the match.

Referee Mateu Lahoz blows the whistle to get us underway here in bright sunshine. You’d have to say it’s hard to see anything but a Barca win but they do have the distraction of a midweek Champions League game.

Five minutes to kick off. Abidal is getting a standing ovation whilst warming up. Lovely gesture from the Balaidos crowd! Barca are 13 points clear at the top of the table and chasing their fourth win on the trot with rivals Real Madrid facing Zaragoza straight afterwards. Celta are second bottom but a win could lift them above the drop zone.

The only league team the Argentine has failed to hit the net against this season is Celta - Adriano, Alba and David Villa having grabbed the goals in the 3-1 home win on November 3. Messi has notched 29 goals in that run of 18 matches, 42 in total in La Liga this season with 10 matches left to play, eight goals short of matching last year's record-breaking campaign.

Lionel Messi has the chance to extend his record sequence to 19 consecutive league games with a goal.

Roura: "The return of Tito means a lot. The boss is back and this is always very important. "It's an important boost for the team. Between the doctors and him they have agreed it wouldn't be a good idea (to travel to Vigo).

Vilanova will not travel to Vigo, but his assistant Jordi Roura said there was a strong possibility he could join the team in Paris.

The big news is that Eric Abidal is included in Barcelona's squad only a few days after coach Tito Vilanova returned following two months out receiving cancer treatment.

TEAMS: Celta Vigo: Celta: Varas, Jonny, Demidov, Cabral, Lago, Pranjic, Oubiña, Natxo Insa, Augusto, Orellana, Park /// Barcelona: Pinto, Alves, Piqué, Bartra, Montoya; Song, Thiago, Fàbregas, Alexis, Messi, Tello. SUBS: Oier, Abidal, Mascherano, Deulofeu, Iniesta, Villa, Busquets.