Players who can step into in absentia Lionel Messi's shoes at Barcelona

‘All the best players play in the middle’.

-Johan Cruyff

With Barca hit man Lionel Messi sidelined for two months, it’s evident that a few players will have to step up a notch to fill in the void left by the iconic talisman. There are strong rumors that Barcelona will make a bid for Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, with Messi having personally requested club president Rosell to do so. However, as for now, we look upon some current Barcelona players who can play at Messi’s position, until he recovers.

1. Neymar :

SEVILLE, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 10: Neymar of FC Barcelona in action during the La Liga match between Real Betis Balompie and FC Barcelona at Estadio Benito Villamarin on November 10, 2013 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He is undoubtedly the number one choice to play at Messi’s position. The Brazilian wonderkid has played at the striker’s position in the past, and has sent the net bulging a number of times from this particular position. His pace and dribbling ability gives him the advantage of playing in the central role. Him playing as a striker will cause Iniesta to shift to the left wing, while Pedro and Alexis fight it out on the right. This will also enable the likes of Alex Song and Sergi Roberto to get some playing time at central midfield, alongside Xavi.