Cesc Fabregas has called on his Barcelona teammates to "take more responsibility" in the absence of Lionel Messi to ensure that they do not suffer a repeat of their Champions League upset at the hands of Celtic.
Messi will miss Barca's trip to Parkhead, where the Catalan giants suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in last season's competition, on Tuesday after being ruled out for three weeks with a thigh injury.
Fabregas is aware that the Argentine's unavailability is a major blow, but has insisted that the Spaniard's attacking unit will prove they can cope without him.
"It is a test because we always want him in our team," Fabregas told reporters. "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 offensive 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."
Messi has already scored 11 times in seven appearances for Barcelona this season, including a hat-trick in their Champions League group-stage opener against Ajax.
Joe Fish
