Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has insisted that he has "completely recovered" from the hamstring injury that marred the latter stages of his 2012-13 campaign.

The 26-year-old completed 40 minutes of Barca's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in a pre-season friendly yesterday, during which the Spanish giants came up against former boss Pep Guardiola for the first time.

"Luckily, my injury is now behind me," Messi told Barcelona's official website. "I'm completely recovered and I'm really looking forward to the new season."

Meanwhile, reports have claimed that Messi played a part in getting Barca to appoint Argentinian coach Gerardo Martino as the club's new manager following the departure of Tito Vilanova.