Lionel Messi makes early Barcelona return

Lionel Messi is ready and raring to go for the upcoming La Liga season as the Barcelona superstar cut short his holidays by five days to train with the treble champions on Tuesday, with his fellow countryman Javier Mascherano also doing the same.

The club’s gaffer Luis Enrique had given extended vacations to the players who participated in the Copa America in Chile, which began just five days after the Champions League Final in Berlin.

Likewise Neymar Jr and Dani Alves have also returned to the Nou Camp and completed their medical tests before joining the team for their first training session.

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen also made an early return to the club after playing for Germany in the Under-21 European Championships, but Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will return on Monday as planned.

The quartet’s return could see them all get some minutes in this weekend’s final pre-season friendly against ACF Fiorentina in the International Champions Cup. As Luis Enrique prepares his side for the UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup in the opening three matches of the season thus completing 5 trophies from a possible 6. The 6 trophy – ‘The Club World Cup’ is scheduled for the month of December in Japan.

The Barcelona forward has played some of his career’s best football for the Catalans leading them to the treble triumph and looks set to claim his fifth Ballon d’or given the elliptical heights his form has reached since the start of 2015.