FCBARCELONA.CAT

04.04.2008 13:02

Messi: "I will play when I am 100 per cent"

Jaume Marcet

Lionel Messi has stated that his recovery is going well and that he will return once he is given the green light by club doctors to start playing again.

The Argentinian had a series of tests on Friday morning and all of them lived up to the expectations that were made about where he would be at this stage of his comeback from the injury to the femoral biceps in his left leg, the club's medical team reported.

Last stage

After flying back from Argentina, Messi began the third phase of his recovery in Barcelona and how he responds over the next few days should give an indication of when he will be available to Frank Rijkaard again.

Calm and happy

"I am working well," Messi said in the press conference. "I am calm and happy because things are going well. I have no pressure on me. I do not yet have a concrete date and I will only play again when I am 100 percent."

If Barça defeat Schalke 04 in the Champions League next week and qualify for the semi finals Messi is confident he will back. "I think that I can be fairly sure I will play then," he said. "But we have to play the second leg of this round first. It is on our hands to win."

Rijkaard and Ronaldinho.

Asked about the criticism aimed at Rijkaard and Ronaldinho, the youngster sought to defend them both: "Frank does not deserve to be treated like that. I owe him a lot and I am very grateful to him," he said.

On Ronaldinho, he stated: "If he is calm and happy then he will be able to give everything that he has inside of him, which is still a great deal I believe."

Less pressure

Messi also warned against placing too much pressure on Bojan Krkic: "He is fine now and I am pleased, but he has to be left in peace," he continued. "He cannot be put under so much pressure and he has to be left alone. That way he will improve even further."