Barcelona and Lionel Messi 'ready' to fight for double when season resumes, says Clement Lenglet

Barcelona resume the 2019-20 LaLiga season against Mallorca on Saturday night
Getty Images
Ben Hayward10 June 2020

Lionel Messi and Barcelona are ready to fight for both LaLiga and Champions League glory, says defender Clement Lenglet.

Barca restart their LaLiga campaign away to Mallorca on Saturday as the competition resumes following a lengthy break caused by coronavirus, with the Champions League set to be completed in the summer.

The Catalans currently lead fierce rivals Real Madrid by two points in LaLiga with 11 rounds of fixtures remaining, while their last-16 tie in Europe is still to be finished after a 1-1 first-leg draw against Napoli in February.

"In the league, even though we have a two-point advantage, it's a new championship," Lenglet told Mundo Deportivo.

"And the Champions League, if it's played in one-off games, we are 15 matches from achieving a double."

Barca have not been crowned champions of Europe since 2015, and Lenglet said: "We would like [to win] it so much. It's something we have wanted for so long.

"It has been five years since we won the last Champions League and we want to keep working to achieve it.

"I think we're in good shape. It's a peculiar season, but we are going to work as hard as possible to lift those trophies."

Key to their success will be Messi, who missed training last Wednesday and again on Friday with a minor thigh injury, but has been back working with his team-mates this week.

Lionel Messi has now recovered from a thigh injury
AFP via Getty Images

"He trained with the group after a small knock and, as always, he has trained really well," Lenglet said. "He is really prepared for what is to come."

And the French defender believes the break will help players like Messi, who rarely have a chance to rest.

"That type of player, not just Leo, but other players like Antoine [Griezmann], Busi (Sergio Busquets)... players who play everything, also with their national team, who travel a lot, have advertising commitments...

"With the confinement, they haven't been able to do all that. They have rested and I think that has done them good."

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