The Argentina international represented his country at the Copa America over the summer and was given extended leave by Barca coach Frank Rijkaard in order to recover from the tournament.

His absence has gifted rising stars Giovani Dos Santos and Bojan Krkic the chance to prove themselves with some highly impressive performances.

Yet Messi does not believe he will lose his place come the start of the season.

When asked if he had been thinking about being pushed to the bench, he told the club`s official website, www.fcbarcelona.com: "I am relaxed in that sense.

"It is the boss who will decide who plays. We need to think about the group, about the team, and it doesn't matter who plays or gets left out.

"I have known them (Giovani and Krkic) both for a long time and have seen what they can do."