Lionel Messi Returns To Barcelona Training For First Time Since September 28 Thigh Injury

After suffering a significant thigh injury in Barcelona's September 28 victory over Almeria, star player and four-time Ballon d'Or Award winner Lionel Messi was forced out of action since the injury hindered his on-field performance. In addition to missing Barca contests against Celtic and Real Valladolid - matches the La Liga giants won 1-0 and 4-1 respectively - the 25-year-old was also absent from the Argentine National team's World Cup qualifying matches against Peru and Uruguay, staying in Barcelona to receive proper treatment for the injury.

Notching eight goals in six league appearances for Barcelona (8-0-0, 24 points), Messi has also recorded 3 goals in Champions League play, once again solidifying himself as the best player on the planet. With a long season still ahead of them, his Spanish club was happy to announce Leo's return to training although it remains to be seen if Messi will feature in the upcoming league showdown against Osasuna, a match that comes just 3 days before a Champions League clash at AC Milan.

"Barcelona's Argentine forward has taken another step forward in his recovery," the team said on its website.

Leo Messi underwent testing on September 29 after injuring the thigh in Barca's win 24 hours prior and even though the premier scorer wanted to be full-go, club doctors felt that it would be best for their prized player to sit out the next two weeks. Even without their feature player, Barcelona won the next two league games, keeping themselves tied atop the standings with Atletico Madrid while also maintaining a clean sheet through eight contests.

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