Barcelona is hoping that Lionel Messi can return from his knee injury to play against Real Madrid in El Clasico on Saturday. Messi has been able to start training and he could return to face Barca's La Liga rivals, while Karim Benzema is expected to play for Real Madrid while dealing with a legal issue off the pitch.
Messi has been out for Barcelona since tearing a knee ligament at the end of September and he was expected to miss around eight weeks. That timetable puts his return date at the end of November and while he likely will not be 100 percent yet, he could play against Real on Saturday. According to ESPN FC, Luis Enrique said that Messi will be a "match-time decision" for the game.
Messi has missed 10 matches overall for Barcelona, but the team has not been worse for the wear, as they have gone 5-1 in league play and 3-0 in the Champions League without the star. Barcelona has been getting some strong play from Neymar and Luis Suarez, as the two have combined for 20 goals during Messi's absence. According to the New York Times, Messi was able to practice with the Barcelona B team last week, but he likely will not start the match for Barca.
If Messi plays he likely will come off the bench for the team and Enrique said that Messi's status will depend on how the star feels leading into the match. Enrique added that the team knows that "he's not going to be 100 percent fit" but that "it's great for us he's back." Barcelona was down one point in the standings when Messi was injured and now the team has turned that into a three point lead.
Real Madrid has some questions coming into the match as well, as Karim Benzema is dealing with an off the pitch issue coming into the weekend. According to Goal.com, Benzema will play on Saturday in El Clasico along with Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez. Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez confirmed the news about the players and that gives the team a boost heading into the match. Benzema is dealing with a blackmailing scandal involving Mathieu Valbuena and there is also concern about how Benzema (and other French players) are feeling after the recent terror attacks in France.
Benitez said: "We have yet to decide whether he will start, but he is part of the squad. We will have a chat with him to see how he feels [following the terrorist attacks in Paris] and then we will decide what's best for him and the team."
Barcelona is currently leading Real Madrid in the La Liga standings by three points heading into the weekend with 27 points overall this season. The club is Real and Atletico Madrid, who has 23 points, and that adds some extra drama to the match on Saturday.
