Well, it was to be expected, and the unanimity of the vote leaves no doubt that Leo Messi is the best player in the game today. Having come 3rd in 2007 and second last year, Messi's continued development last season was reflected in the 38 goals scored and Barça's success in winning La Liga, La Copa and the Champions League. Since the change in the voting system Kaka achieved 444 votes to win in 2007, while Cristiano Ronaldo won in 2008 with 446, Messi's dominance this year has seen him earn an incredible 473 votes which left second place Cristiano Ronaldo with 233.

In previous seasons critics had argued that Messi got injured too often and was yet to play a complete season but Messi responded in the 2008/09 season with no injuries, 38 goals in all competitions, he was...

We had a few doubts during November but we finish the month unbeaten with four victories and two draws, we are top of La Liga and our Champions League group while also qualifying for the next round of the Copa del Rey (which is something not all the big teams in Spain can say!). The draw in Kazan does not look so bad now and the only other points we lost this month were against an inspired Athletic Bilbao in San Mames.

Much of our success this month was down to the performance of our defence as we only conceded three goals in six games. This is reflected in this month's winner who is none other than our heroic captain Carles Puyol. In the three most important games this month against Rubin Kazan, Inter Milan...

More good news today as Gabi Milito has  received medical clearance to play again after finally recovering from his knee injury. Milito was injured in the Champions League semi final clash with Manchester United on April 29th 2008 and so has been missing from action for 581 days. pep Guardiola has already included him in the squad for the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi and after today's news we can hope to see him back in action soon. Milito should be congratulated for his effort and patience after a complicated recuperation in which he suffered many setbacks. Hopefully he will prove to be the best "signing" of the winter.

On a more negative note, in an interview in France Football Toure Yaya has expressed his unhappiness at not playing more minutes...

A goal in the 56th minute from substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave 10-man Barça an epic victory over Real Madrid to take us back to the top of La Liga on our 110th anniversary. Ibrahimovic had only been on the pitch for five minutes when he scored, but the victory was put in doubt when Sergio Busquets got himself sent off for a second yellow card for a needless handball. However, it was a heroic performance from the ten remaining players and despite a couple of scares we held out for the victory.

It was a very tough match for us as Madrid managed to suffocate us in midfield by playing an advanced defence which left little space in the zone where Xavi and Iniesta usually work their magic. Faced with such...

Pep Guardiola will decide tomorrow whether to include Leo Messi in the starting line up for the 159th clasico with Real Madrid. Messi has been improving well and I feel he will be ok, perhaps Pep already knows what he will do and is keeping his cards to his chest over Messi, it will be a great psychological boost before the game for us if Messi appears on the team sheet. It seems pretty sure that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be ok, while we also have Toure Yaya back after recovering from the swine flu.

Real Madrid arrive with a one-point advantage at the top of La Liga and they are without the injured Metzelder, Guti and Van Nistlerooy. Raul Albiol faces a late fitness test but seems likely to start in defence after...

Some stories have come out since our victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday. One of the most interesting is the miraculous return from injury and swine flu by Eric Abidal. When Abidal picked up his muscle injury in the left thigh it was said that he would need three weeks to recover and yet he was playing ten days later. Besides this he also recoved from swine flu after going down with the virus on Friday. On Monday evening he was training apart still wearing a facemask and he didn't get the all clear to play until 7pm on the day of the game. Some of his team mates apparently couldn't believe it when Pep Guardiola announced the team. The other news on Abidal of course is that yesterday he renewed his contract...

Barça responded to the pressure of the situation with a magnificent performance against Italian champions Inter Milan to take a giant step towards the last 16 of the Champions League. There was no need for either Leo Messi or Zlatan Ibrahimovic as two early goals from Gerard Piqué and Pedro Rodriguez left Inter without an answer and leave Barça almost classified as we can now only go out if we lose by more than one goal to Dynamo Kiev, and we would still go through if Inter and Rubin draw in their last game in Milan.

Right from the beginning Barça were in total control, showing excellent concentration and putting the Inter players under pressure whenever we lost possession while...

I think it would be fair to say that we go into our biggest match of the season so far in a less than perfect condition. Doubts have been growing after our recent performances and we now face Inter Milan without Abidal, Toure, Milito and Chygrynskiy while the possibilities of playing for Leo Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rafa Marquez seem to be very low. Perhaps Ibrahimovic can make it in time but I have a feeling that he will start on the bench. Marquez does not have the H1N1 virus and we will have to hope he makes a speedy recovery from whatever he does have, while it seems practically impossible that Messi will be risked despite the importance of the match. However, it is no time for excuses and we still have a decent...

Better news just in on Messi. His injury is not as bad as at first feared and he could even make it in time to face Inter. Ibrahimovic is also improving and is not ruled out yet for Tuesday, it depends on how he improves over the next 48 hours. Toure will definitely be out with the flu while the tests on Marquez should be in this afternoon.

Barça lose the top spot in La Liga to Real Madrid after a frustrating 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao in San Mames. If the result was disappointing what is even more worrying is the injury to Leo Messi which will see him miss the game on Tuesday with Inter Milan and sees him doubtful for Sunday's clash with Madrid. Messi was substituted in the 76th minute and immediately put an ice pack on the inside of his left thigh, his face told the story that he is obviously concerned with the injury. Added to the injuries to Ibrahimovic and Abidal and the problems with swine flu we go into a vital week with plenty of problems, we have talked about the size of the squad before and we may pay heavily for the lack of...