The 26-year-old believes he can fill in for the injured
Barcelona forward during his absence if called upon in Tuesday’s match at
Celtic Park.
Cesc Fabregas believes he can fill the void left by the
injured Lionel Messi in the Barcelona XI ahead of their Champions League clash
with Celtic on Tuesday.
The Argentina international, who has scored 62 goals in
80 appearances in the elite European competition, suffered a thigh injury in
Saturday's 2-0 win over Almeria and is expected to spend up to three weeks on
the sidelines.
In Messi's absence, coach Gerardo Martino has to figure
out a replacement and Fabregas is eager to take on the role of lead forward.
"Messi is the best player in the world, he makes a
difference, but he won't play [against Celtic]. We can't do anything about
that," the former Arsenal midfielder told reporters on Monday.
"Without Messi, we will all have to take more
responsibility. We have to step up, don't feel his absence and play football
without him.
"I might have more offensive responsibilities. I
will try and help the team as a striker or whatever other position I play.
The Catalans suffered a 2-1 defeat at Celtic Park at this
stage in the competition last season and, while Fabregas is aware of the
difficulties they will face on Tuesday, he feels the team has learned from
their mistakes.
"We’ve learned our lesson from last year," the
26-year-old continued. "They had two chances and scored two goals. It
could be a very similar game to last year, especially as it was successful for
them.
"We are not upset about last year, we played a good
game but must not give the ball away, maximise our chances and score goals.
"If you follow the Champions League you know coming
to Celtic Park will always be a tough game.
"I played here with Arsenal as well and it is
difficult. The Celtic fans are always behind their team. They take a corner and
it feels like a goal."
Neymar remains another option to replace the injured
Lionel Messi, and Fabregas admits the young Brazilian would be more than up to
the task.
"He’s got so much talent and he’s like lightning in
tight spaces," he added. "He’s a star, but in the future he’s going
to be even bigger.
"He’s got the world at his feet and we’ll see how he
develops. It’s a tough game to face the challenge of replacing Messi, but if
anyone is ready to do it then it’s Neymar.
"Pressure doesn’t affect him. I think he’s ready
mentally. We really need the wide players."
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