BARCELONA • Lionel Messi could make an earlier than expected return against Inter Milan in the Champions League today but Barcelona have hardly missed him.
Four wins out of four, including a stroll past Inter Milan and a hammering of Real Madrid, mean Messi reunites with the team enjoying their strongest run of the season - ironically without their star forward.
Barca will certainly be delighted, relieved even, when his recovery is complete. The club have named the Argentinian in their squad for the match at the San Siro, even if he has yet to be given the medical all-clear by team doctors and coach Ernesto Valverde at press time.
His involvement could either be as a substitute or even delayed until Sunday, when Barca host Real Betis in LaLiga.
It might depend on how much Barca need him and, in that respect, Messi's absence has been less pronounced than what many had predicted more than two weeks ago when he tumbled and broke his right arm against Sevilla.
Circumstances have helped. After Inter came Real who were in a mess, then Cultural Leonesa, who play in Spain's third tier, and Rayo Vallecano, who are 19th in the table.
More crucially, key players have delivered while others, less prominent, have stepped up.
Luis Suarez scored twice on Saturday, the second an 89th-minute winner to complete a late comeback against Rayo. After six games without a goal, the striker has now hit six in his last four.
Messi's absence opened up a gap in the forward line, which was expected to be filled by the 21-year-old Ousmane Dembele.
Instead, the more diligent Rafinha was named in the starting line-up at home to Inter last month, justifying Valverde's faith by scoring the opener in the 2-0 victory.
Valverde's preference carries a clear message to the likes of Dembele and Malcom about the value he places on concentration, pressing off the ball and teamwork.
Only last month, the pressure mounting on Valverde was comparable to that felt by Julen Lopetegui at Real Madrid. Barca were winless in four league games, with defensive errors wreaking havoc on their title hopes. Now they sit four points clear at the top and head to Italy on the back of five straight wins.
A draw against Inter will guarantee qualification from Group B while victory would secure top spot with two games to spare.
Meanwhile, Inter coach Luciano Spalletti warned his team not to underestimate a Barca team without their talisman at full fitness.
"Messi is the icing on the cake. His is the shirt that children who dream of being footballers ask for," said Spalletti at his pre-match conference yesterday.
"Barcelona have shown that even without him they still have the mentality to develop their game, which is what makes the difference."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
INTER V BARCELONA
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