Barcelona are reportedly hopeful of a huge double injury boost with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on track to face Espanyol this weekend.
The influential duo have been decisive for the Catalan giants again so far this season, with Messi bagging 39 goals and 21 assists in 37 games, while Suarez has added 21 goals and 11 assists in 39 outings.
SEE MORE: Barcelona put €50m+ price-tag on bit-part ace to make profit on summer exit
With that level of quality in the final third, the last thing Barcelona want is to be without the pair as the international break comes to a close, but it appears as though they could be handed a big boost ahead of facing Espanyol on Saturday afternoon.
According to AS, it’s claimed that Messi returned to training on Wednesday after picking up a problem while with Argentina, as Suarez is also being tipped to recover from an ankle injury that he suffered before the international break.
Not only in terms of their hopes of solidifying top spot in La Liga as they currently have a 10-point lead over nearest rivals Atletico Madrid with 10 games to go, but also with the Champions League returning next month, Barcelona will want to be as close to having a fully fit squad as possible.
Particularly in this case given how influential Messi and Suarez continue to be coupled with the experience and winning pedigree that they bring to the table, coach Ernesto Valverde will be hopeful that he can rely on his stalwarts in the weeks ahead.
However, it’s an important decision for this weekend, as the last thing that they want to do is rush either Messi or Suarez back and risk seeing them suffer a setback to extend their spell on the sidelines.
