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Barcelona boss Enrique insists there is 'nothing wrong' with Messi
Barcelona

Barcelona boss Enrique insists there is 'nothing wrong' with Messi

Published Dec. 11, 2015 9:35 a.m. ET

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique insists there is "nothing wrong" with Lionel Messi despite fears the Argentina captain was carrying an injury.

Messi was seen clutching the back of his leg during Barca's 1-1 Champions League draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday and skipped training on Thursday due to "personal reasons".

That sparked concerns over Messi's fitness but Luis Enrique has confirmed the forward is fine and he now appears set to start the weekend clash with Deportivo La Coruna.

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"Here we go with the same routine of questions as always. No, Leo is fine, there's nothing wrong with him at all. He is in perfect shape," he said at Friday's media conference.

The Barca boss also revealed Sergi Roberto and Jeremy Mathieu are fit for what he expects to be a difficult game.

"Sergi Roberto is fine. He'll get the medical green light. It's great news that Sergi and Jeremy Mathieu are back. Sergi adds a lot to the team and he can play in several positions. Sergi Roberto is a quality player. 

"In midfield we've had trouble this season. It's always been a difficult area. He is a very versatile player and he's a player who can support the attack, he drops into defense and he reads the game well - he knows how to create pressure. He's an essential player to have and that's just the start of his virtues.

Following the Depor clash at Camp Nou, the European champion flies out to Japan for the Club World Cup with Barca scheduled to play either Club America or Guangzhou Evergrande in Thursday's semifinal.

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