Cristiano Ronaldo is robbing headlines, but there is no doubt that one of the biggest questions dominating the minds of soccer fans concerns the return of his great rival. Messi has recently made mention of his return and when he aims to play again.
"The truth is I have not put a date on the return. If all goes well it will be that date, but we will see what happens. I will be back when it is supposed to happen," he said, according to ESPN. My objective is to return in good shape, to strengthen the body so that, God willing, I can play without injuries. I am improving bit by bit -- it does not hurt any more. I am starting to do things."
Messi struggled with a leg injury during the first half of 2013. Despite having a month off to rest his injury during the summer, Messi chose to engage in a world tour to represent his charity. The lack of rest seemingly caused more problems months later when he started suffering from the injury early in the season.
The continued problems have seen Messi's form dip a bit compared to past seasons. At this point, he is no longer a favorite to win his fifth straight Ballon d'Or.
The biggest question is how good Messi will be when he gets back. A major part of his game relies on his speed and superb dribbling ability. Messi is not a relatively tall individual and is not a player that will overwhelm others with his physicality. The nagging injury had clearly hurt his speed and it is possible that it could cripple that part of his game for a lengthy period after he recovers. After two months off, it is hard to expect "La Pulga" to play the way he did in 2012 when he scored 92 goals in a single year.
How good will Messi be when he makes his return in 2014?