Messi one of the fittest around

Barcelona doctor Ricard Pruna has revealed that Lionel Messi is one of the fittest players at the club.

Though not the most fittest looking player, the Argentina star has somehow managed to play week-in-week-out without showing signs of fatigue - featuring in 55 games for the Catalan giants last season.

Speaking of the 24-year-old's fitness level, Pruna believes Messi is up there with the best.

"I would like to highlight the maturity and the process of adaptation carried out by Leo," Pruna is quoted as saying in Sport.es.

"The player is able to control his rest periods and the food he eats, tying them in with his workload. He is one of the fittest players at Barcelona.

"Messi has great personal needs, but he knows how to manage his understanding of football, balancing the efforts he makes to be more effective at preventing injuries."

The 24-year-old could be in action again on Sunday when Argentina play Chile as part of the South American qualifying stages for the 2014 World Cup.