Luis Enrique: "The team have stepped up without Messi"

Luis Enrique lauded his players for the way they have responded since Leo Messi fell injured on 26th September. "We're much stronger with Messi, but we've shown that we have a great team and strength in depth. The team have stepped up without him", the Barca boss remarked, going on to highlight the contribution of Luis Suarez and Neymar, who have scored 17 goals between them since Messi was sidelined.

Asked about Messi's recovery, Luis Enrique said that it's "going very well". "Is that not enough for you?" he proceeded to retort when pressed for more details by the same journalist, "You should ask him how he's doing. I'm no one's spokesman".

On Sunday's meeting with Villarreal, Luis Enrique is expecting "a tough, but attractive" match and warned that Barca will have to be at the races to register a victory that he considers "essential" ahead of the international break. "Either we have a good day or Villarreal are going to cause us a lot of trouble", he stated, adding that it is always "relatively easy" to ensure the squad keep their eyes on the ball for games against this sort of opposition.

The match at the Camp Nou will see the 'Azulgranas' lock horns with Denis Suarez, whom they have an option to buy back from the Yellow Submarine at the end of the season: "His performances will determine whether he'll return. The loanees have to perform at a high level so that they play regularly. Most of those who go out on loan aren't in Denis's situation: he's one of the ones who are seeing the most action".

The likes of Denis Suarez will be buoyed by the example of Sergi Roberto, who has shown that it's possible to force your way into the plans. Luis Enrique called Roberto a "very intelligent player", pinpointing this as the reason why "he can play in so many positions".

Lastly, the coach rued the club's misfortune on the injury front: "The number of injuries we have means we've got to keep closer tabs on the players' workloads, but it's a matter of luck and we can't control that".