Fabregas challenges Barca to thrive without Messi

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Cesc Fabregas has challenged his Barcelona team-mates to prove they can thrive without Lionel Messi when they face Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Argentina forward Messi injured his thigh in the 2-0 win over Almeria on Saturday and will miss the Group H clash against the Scottish champions as a result.

Former Arsenal midfielder Fabregas acknowledged losing the player widely recognised as the best in the world was a significant blow, but he is adamant a club of Barca's stature should be able to cope with his absence.

"It is a test because we always want him in our team," Fabregas said on Monday. "Obviously Lionel is the best player in the world, I don't even have to say that, and you obviously will miss a player of his talent and dedication.

"We rely on him a lot. He is the best player, the one that scores more goals, the one that does the attacking tasks. He is always there for us, he gives assists, he is the best.

"He can win a game at any moment so we are sad for that but you cannot feel sorry for yourselves because you are missing a great player.

"Without Messi we will have to take more responsibility. I think we all have to step up and make sure that we don't feel his absence, and show we can play great football without him.

"When he is not there we have to adapt the situation and players like Neymar, myself if I play, Alexis Sanchez, Cristian Tello, Pedro Rodriguez; we have to step up and do the job that a striker is made for which is scoring goals and giving assists."

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino also insisted the absence of Messi will not be used as an excuse should his side lose in Glasgow.

"Messi is the best player in the world but we have a great team and his absence cannot be an excuse if we don't get a good result tomorrow night," Martino said.

And Fabregas believes 21-year-old Brazilian striker Neymar could be the one Barcelona player capable of one day reaching the levels of Messi.

"He is a very talented player, very quick and has the skills to get away from you easily," the Spain international said.

"He is already a star but this boy will have a lot to say in the future of football.

"It is up to him. Everything is in his hands.

"He came here to learn, to compete, to fight, to grow up as a player and a person.

"He is still a boy and in the future we will be talking about him as one of the greatest."

We'll live without Messi - Zubi

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Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta concedes losing Lionel Messi for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Celtic is a blow but has pointed out the Catalan giants are no one-man team.

Messi has been ruled out for up to three weeks after suffering a thigh injury during Saturday's 2-0 Primera Division victory at Almeria, a result that saw Barca set a club record of seven successive league wins to start a season.

Four-time world player of the year Messi has, unsurprisingly, been instrumental in that success with eight goals in La Liga already this term and his loss is a major setback for Gerardo Martino's side, but Zubizarreta does not want to use the Argentinian's absence as an excuse.

"He's a very difficult player to replace," Zubizarreta told reporters as Barca prepared to fly to Scotland.

"We must do without the best player in the world, but we have a squad with extraordinary players.

"The players who are here are very good and we have to play with what we have."

Even with Messi in their side Barcelona were still beaten by Celtic when the clubs met in last season's Champions League at Celtic Park.

Goals from Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt put the home side 2-0 up and although Messi pulled a goal back in stoppage time, it was not enough to prevent the four-time European champions from slumping to defeat.

Zubizarreta is looking forward to returning to Glasgow but insists they are not being driven by thoughts of revenge.

"It's always a pleasure to play at Celtic Park," he said.

Barca without injured Messi, Real wait on Bale

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World Player of the Year Lionel Messi will miss Barcelona's trip to Malaga on Sunday as he continues to recover from a thigh injury as Real Madrid remained poised to welcome Gareth Bale.

Messi was substituted at half-time in Barca's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and Barca boss Gerardo Martino confirmed the 25-year-old had not been included in his squad as a precaution.

"He is developing well," Martino told a press conference on Saturday.

"It is just a precaution. We are optimistic, but it is just three days since the injury occurred and it would be risky to play him, especially so early in the season."

Messi's absence should mean a start for Cesc Fabregas in the false nine role he often occupies for Spain.

However, Martino was tight-lipped on whether or not Neymar would be handed his first start for the club after coming off the bench to net his first Barca goal on Wednesday.

"Just because Messi isn't there doesn't mean Neymar has to take the reins," said the coach.

"Neymar is improving all the time, but we need to take things bit by bit to ensure everything goes well in the end. My intention is that when he plays he is able to show all that he can do."

Real Madrid meanwhile are not in action until Monday night when they travel to face Granada.

However, it is looking increasingly unlikely that they will travel to Andalusia with Bale amongst their ranks as there was still no confirmation of his move from Spurs on Saturday.

Spanish media reported that the 24-year-old had already arrived in Spain and was waiting in Marbella for the world record deal to be completed before flying to Madrid to be presented to the fans and the media in the coming days.

Real will be without Xabi Alonso for up to three months after he broke a bone in his foot earlier this week and minor injuries to Sami Khedira and Asier Illarramendi mean manager Carlo Ancelotti's midfield options are limited.

Meanwhile the Italian also has to decide whether to stick with Diego Lopez in goal or recall club captain Iker Casillas after he was surprisingly benched for Real's 2-1 win over Real Betis last weekend.

In the night's action on the field, Real Sociedad failed to make it three wins in a week as they were held 1-1 by promoted Elche.

The Basques took a huge step towards qualifying for the Champions League group stages for the first time in a decade in midweek as they won 2-0 away to Lyon.

However, they were on the back foot straight away in Alicante as Ferran Coro scored the hosts first goal in the top-flight for 24 years.

Sociedad improved mightily after the break though and were deservedly level 16 minutes from time when Carlos Vela turned home Xabi Prieto's cross.

Espanyol moved alongside Sociedad on four points after two games as they came from behind to beat Valencia 3-1.

Helder Postiga scored his first goal for Valencia against the run of play after just 10 minutes.

However, David Lopez's equaliser ensured Javi Aguirre's men went in level at half-time and second-half goals from Cristian Stuani and Thievy Bifouma rounded off a fine victory for the Catalans.

And Villarreal continued their fantastic start since returning to the top flight as a Giovani Dos Santos penalty and Cani's strike six minutes from time gave them a 2-1 win over Valladolid.

History CNET alleging the NSA can listen to phone calls from the United States without faces skepticism

A blockbuster posted Saturday by CNET article alleges that the national security agency has the power to listen to phone calls of Americans without a warrant.

That bold statement illuminated social media, but also drew skepticism, with many arguing that it seemed to be based on a misunderstanding.

The basis of the CNET article that focused on an exchange between Representative Jerrold Nadler (DN.And) and FBI Director Robert Mueller at a hearing on Thursday. (See above). During the interrogation, Nadler said that in a separate report, behind closed doors, he had said that NSA analysts can listen to the content of a telephone call at the discretion of the analyst.

Given the apparent illegality of listen to phone calls of Americans without warrants, some questioned whether Nadler understood the report cited. From the Saturday night, several publications were not able to reach the Congressman for comment.

Kevin Drum completo Mother Jones writes that "information of that phone" can mean one of many things, and that Nadler may have been "confused the capacity of an analyst to obtain information for a phone number of the Subscriber with the ability to listen to the call of its own." Julian Sanchez of regulations wrote Nadler can refers to a set of circumstances that is narrower than the CNET article involved.

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