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Gerardo Martino to decide on Lionel Messi

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino says that he will wait until tomorrow to decide if Lionel Messi will start against Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino has remained tight-lipped on whether Lionel Messi will start tomorrow's match at Atletico Madrid.

The Argentine returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines to score two goals in a 4-0 win over Getafe in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

However, Martino is wary of rushing the 26-year-old into a crucial fixture.

"He looks fine and had a phenomenal 30 minutes in the cup but he returned after a long time out and the question is whether he is now ready to play a full game at this level," the 51-year-old told reporters.

"We will make a decision tomorrow. It's not really a case of asking a player how he feels as they will usually say 'fine'.

"I have to go by my sensations and look at different aspects to make a decision which people will judge me on. I am the Barcelona coach and pick my XI and then afterwards a decision will be made on how well I do."

Barca and Atleti are level at the top of the league on 49 points.

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Atletico Madrid's Brazilian forward Diego da Silva Costa celebrates after scoring with Atletico Madrid's Uruguayan defender Diego Godin during the Spanish league football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Levante UD at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madri
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona17122350193138
2Real Madrid17114237162137
3Atletico MadridAtletico16105130111935
4Athletic Bilbao1795326151132
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6Villarreal157532725226
7Osasuna176742225-325
8Real Sociedad167361611524
9GironaGirona176472325-222
10Sevilla176471823-522
11Real BetisBetis165651820-221
12Celta Vigo176382528-321
13Rayo Vallecano165561819-120
14Las PalmasLas Palmas165382227-518
15Getafe163761113-216
16AlavesAlaves164391827-915
17Leganes163671423-915
18Espanyol1642101528-1314
19Real ValladolidValladolid1733111234-2212
20Valencia152491323-1010


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