Messi looks towards the Copa del Rey

The heavy defeat to Valencia and the doubts generated by the victories over Granada and Ibiza have set off alarm bells in Barcelona.

The duel against Leganés in the Copa del Rey comes at a delicate time for Quique Setién and his charges, at a time when he needs to get back to their game and get a comfortable win.

For that reason, as 'AS' reports, it is expected that the Cantabrian technician, after the fright of the previous round, puts out his strongest starting XI yet, with captain Lionel Messi leading the charge.

The Argentinean star did not even make the squad against Ibiza, but is now expected to lead the Catalan team in the Round of 16.

It would be the star's debut in this year's Copa del Rey competition and his first match since last season's final against Valencia, which ended in a 2-1 defeat.

In addition to the '10', Setién could line up several of the regulars to continue assimilating his style of play, which has not yet been understood in the dressing room.

In addition, he could start getting the results he wants in a tournament where, if all else fails, could be their only title this season.