Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi has been missing in action ever since suffering from calf injury during the Catalonian's pre-season tour. The little Argentine was injured in his first pre-season training session and did not feature in the entirety of the tour. He was also left out of Barcelona's matchday squad against Athletic Bilbao, a game the Catalonians lost. His return to first-team training comes at a time Barcelona have loaned out Phillipe Coutinho, and Ousmane Dembele is out for four weeks with a muscle problem. Lionel Messi in FIFA Puskas Award 2019 Nominees' List, in Fray to Join Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar for Scoring 'Most Beautiful' Goal.

Lionel Messi posted a picture of himself training on Instagram that brought a smile on the faces of his supporters who have had to wait long for his return. He is crucial for Ernesto Valverde as he grapples to bring stability in the team. A shock loss in the opener have made things a bit edgy with new signings settling in. If Messi does play a few minutes against Real Betis, it will help him gain match fitness which is clearly missing at the moment. The La Liga champions were left frustrated with their inability to open up Bilbao defence, something Messi is quite capable of doing. With double training session scheduled for Wednesday and two more before Sunday's game, Lionel Messi has an outside chance of starting the game as well. Lionel Messi-Less Barcelona Lose to Atletico Bilbao, Netizens Troll Spanish Club Over Their First Defeat in the La Liga Opening Game in 11 Years!

Real Madrid play on Saturday against Valladolid and if they win, the open up a six-point gap against arch-rivals Barcelona albeit temporarily. It will be important for the Catalonians not to cede ground early on and for that they need their talisman back quickly and firing again.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 21, 2019 02:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).