Messi was in very bad shape - Luis Enrique

The Barcelona coach has revealed the extent of the Argentine's illness in the aftermath of their 0-0 stalemate at Camp Nou

Luis Enrique says Lionel Messi was in "very bad" shape earlier on Saturday but hinted he could return for their Champions League match on Wednesday.

Messi withdrew from the squad just a few hours before the 0-0 draw with Malaga at Camp Nou, with the club confirming he has been suffering from sickness.

The champions looked short on ideas in the absence of the Argentine and the suspended Luis Suarez, with Paco Alcacer anonymous for long periods and Gerard Pique eventually pushed up to offer some kind of extra target.

Luis Enrique calmed fears Messi could be out for a long period but insisted he is happy with Alcacer's contribution given the newcomer's lack of playing time since joining from Valencia.

"Messi has to be very bad to miss a game. But it's nothing serious - he's already recovering," he told a media conference.

"We lost Messi, we lost Luis Suarez, but it's squads that win games."

On Alcacer's form, he added: "In football, you have to be consistent. In order for a player to score goals, he needs minutes.

"I'm happy with him and he keeps improving, but to pretend otherwise is illogical. I'm delighted with Paco Alcacer and with the team."

Luis Enrique was happy to have Pique back after three league games on the sidelines with an ankle injury, but he conceded that dropping two points was an unwelcome surprise.

"Gerard's return is a positive. He's a leader in the team and I thought he would be able to create some chances," he said.

"They had 10 guys in their area. You have to move the ball and try to create some spaces. In the first half, when they were fresh, that's more difficult.

"I praise my players and the fans. There were chances and we tried until the very end.

"We didn't expect to lose points so I can imagine how upset my players are."

Barca are back in action against Celtic on Wednesday for their fifth Champions League group game of 2016-17.