This archive report was first published on 21 August 2019.
Barcelona received a timely boost on Wednesday as Lionel Messi returned to training with the rest of the squad after a calf injury.
On August 5, Messi strained his calf in his first training session back following the Copa America, forcing him to miss the club's pre-season.
However, the Argentine star trained alone in the morning before joining his team-mates in the afternoon, indicating that he is on the road to recovery.
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde will be eager to have Messi available again, particularly after the team suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat by Athletic Bilbao in their opening league game last weekend.
With Luis Suarez expected to be out for around a month and Ousmane Dembele requiring five weeks to recover from a hamstring injury, Messi's return is a welcome relief for the team.
Antoine Griezmann, the 120 million summer signing from Atletico Madrid, is the only fully-fit forward, with Rafinha and 21-year-old Carles Perez possible options to play behind him.
The shortage up front has intensified speculation that Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar could return to Barcelona before the transfer window closes in Spain on September 2.
