Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino has confirmed that Lionel Messi is fit to face Ajax in Wednesday's Champions League encounter.
The Argentine ace has been struggling with a hamstring injury suffered in the Supercopa de Espana against Atletico Madrid, but Martino insists the player has been given sufficient rest to fully recover from the problem.
"Leo Messi has to be one of the players that has featured in fewer minutes so far this season," Martino said at a press conference. "He was out against Malaga, he played 45 minutes against Atletico Madrid in the [Supercopa] first leg and with Argentina he only played one match, so he is fit.
"He has recovered from that hamstring blow against Atletico, so we think he's fine to carry on playing. We will see what happens in the future and how or when we rest him."
Tonight's meeting with the Dutch champion marks Martino's first match in the Champions League, and he admits he is feeling the pressure, given Barca's remarkable form in the competition in recent seasons.
"I am very excited about it, although obviously I feel nervous about us living up to our standards in such a prestigious competition," Martino said. "When I took on the Barcelona job, I knew that if we didn't win a title this season it would be a failure.
Source: Goal.com
