Messi eyes United semi-final as the perfect stage to launch his comeback

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The 20-year-old has not played since the beginning of March when he suffered a thigh muscle tear in his left leg during a Champions League game against Celtic.

Dream date: Messi says he would like to make his return against Manchester United

For the past two weeks he has been doing light training under the watchful eyes of Argentinian Football Association kinesiologist Luis Garcia and physio Marcelo D'Andrea in Buenos Aires.

He returned to Barcelona on Thursday night, and on Friday told the Spanish press of his intentions to be ready should his team advance to a possible tie with the English champions.

"It would be great if I could be in the semi-finals of the Champions League," he told El Mundo Deportivo.

"If we played Manchester United it would be amazing because we would be playing one of the best teams in the world. But I aim to be back before that."

Barcelona currently hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Schalke, with the second leg at the Nou Camp due to be played on April 9.

And Messi declared himself available to finish the job against the Germans.

He said: "If it was up to me I'd play this weekend because I feel fine, and even if was just a few minutes I'd like to play in the second leg against Schalke."