Lionel Messi passed fit for Real Betis trip

Lionel Messi has been passed fit for Barcelona's trip to Real Betis on Sunday.

The Argentine international picked up a leg injury in the Champions League draw with Benfica in midweek, but trained with his teammates this morning.

Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova has indicated that Messi will feature in the squad for the Betis game, but may not play the full 90 minutes.

"If there was even the smallest risk then Messi would not travel with the rest of the team," Vilanova said during a press conference.

"This means he is recovered and ready to play. However, we will assess his condition tomorrow and then decide whether he can play 90 minutes or not."

Vilanova went on to say that Alexis Sanchez is also close to returning from injury.

"As for Alexis, he has recovered faster than we thought and he is doing well physically. He just needs to get some playing time to get him up to full match fitness," he added.

Barcelona will take on Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on Sunday.