Messi back in training, in contention to face Betis

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Lionel Messi gave Barcelona a timely boost on Wednesday by returning to training with the rest of the squad after a calf injury.
Messi trained alone in the morning before joining his team-mates in the afternoon, increasing hopes that Barca’s captain could play a role against Real Betis in La Liga on Sunday.
He strained his calf on August 5 in his first training session back following the Copa America and subsequently missed the club’s pre-season.
It would be a surprise if Messi started at Camp Nou, but Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde will be eager to have his star available again, particularly after his team suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat by Athletic Bilbao in their opening league game last weekend.

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