After being involved in the Copa America 2015, it was feared that South American names like Lionel Messi and Neymar will not be at the best of the physical condition for the start of the new year.
Manager Luis Enrique, though, has dismissed these concerns by saying that the two stars look to be in great shape at the moment. The pair were in the starting line-up for the recent friendly game against Roma, which finished has a 3-0 win for the hosts. This is the first time the duo have featured in a mid-season friendly match after being given an extended break by manager Luis Enrique.
Enrique said a few weeks ago that he was concerned about the energy levels of Messi, which appeared to have taken a huge hit after yet another summer without a break. The 28-year-old has been playing non-stop football over the last couple of years due to his commitments with the international team as well. Coupled with this fact, Barcelona have been extremely successful during this period and have won a lot of trophies. This, in turn, has meant that they had to be involved in a lot of games as well.
Still, it is a major positive aspect that both Neymar and Messi are in great condition. "They look great. They've been spectacular. Messi and Neymar, along with Javier Mascherano and Dani Alves have come in handy. When you're on holiday, in addition to your work programme, there are instructions for diet. They've obviously followed them."
"I liked Neymar's performance and I liked all the players in the important aspects. This is the path we want to follow,” said Enrique, who will hope to defend the title from the onslaught of Real Madrid - they are currently favourites to do so with StanJames if you fancy a bet.
