Barca look to Neymar to avoid Celtic shock

Barcelona are preparing to unleash the speedy
Neymar on Celtic in the Champions League,
hoping the 'next Lionel Messi' can inspire them
in the absence of the real one when they face
the team who stunned them last season.
World Player of the Year Messi was ruled out
with a hamstring problem before the Spanish
champions headed to Scotland for Tuesday's
Group H encounter against Celtic who still
have fond memories of their 2-1 home win last
November.
"We always miss a player of his talent - he can
win a game at any moment," Barcelona
midfielder Cesc Fabregas told a news
conference on Monday.
"So obviously we are very sad for that but you
cannot always put your head down and feel
sorry for yourself if you are missing a great
player.
"I think we have to step up all of us and make
sure we don't feel his absence and we can still
play great football without him."
Neymar, the 21-year-old Brazil forward who
cost Barca 57 million euros ($77.16 million), is
one of those who will be expected to do just
that.
"He's a very talented player... he has the skills
to get away from you easily and I think he's a
star in the making," Fabregas said of the
youngster.
"I think this boy will have a lot to say in the
future of football and it's all up to him.
Everything is in his hands. He came here to
learn as he said, he came here to compete, to
fight, to grow up as a player, as a person.
"He's still a boy and I think in the future we
will be talking of him as one of the greatest."
GIFTED NEYMAR
Celtic manager Neil Lennon knows his team
will have to watch out for the Brazilian,
although he reckoned it was premature to be
talking of him as the next Messi like many
pundits have.
"He's wonderfully gifted... he's got goals in
him," he told a news conference. "He's quick,
he's only young, he's got a fantastic future
ahead but I think it's too early to make
comparisons to Messi."
While Messi's absence is a boost for Celtic,
who lost 2-0 at AC Milan in their group opener
earlier this month, Lennon also saw another
side to it with the fans at Parkhead missing out
on the chance to see one of the world's finest
players.
"(It) is obviously very good news for us
because for me he (Messi) is the best player in
the world. But it is also tinged with sadness as
it is always good to see the best players here
in Glasgow," he said.
"They are a fantastic team and one of the
favourites to win the trophy."
Barca, who won their opening game at home to
Ajax Amsterdam 4-0, have other injuries apart
from Messi with defenders Jordi Alba, Carles
Puyol and Javier Mascherano ruled out.
"They have defensive problems through
injuries but they're keeping clean sheets.
Regardless of personnel they are defending
well," Lennon said.
"It will be, at times, containment. Limit them
to as few chances as we possibly can. They're
not like any other team. Barcelona, in my
personal opinion, are a class above, and have
been consistently the best club side for 10
years now."