It has been a tumultuous two weeks for Lionel Messi, twice missing games through suspension, but Luis Enrique is set to call upon him to star for Barcelona against Sevilla on Wednesday evening.

When that happens, the Blaugrana No. 10 often answers it with the kind of performance that is worthy of the praise Jorge Sampaoli gave him prior to the match.

"Comparing Messi with the rest is like comparing a great policeman with Batman," he told beIN Sports recently.

The Argentine won't have to save the lives of the civilians of Gotham City but instead annihilates any adversary before him and that is what makes him the best.

He is a superhero dressed in blue and red and unfortunately for Sevilla, they are his favoured victims.

In 29 games against the reigning Europa League holders, Messi has scored 27 times, proving decisive in snatching points and winning trophies in games against Sevilla.

He is often vital for Barcelona but when it comes to games against Sevilla, he dons the cape and mask to devastating effect.

Sampaoli's side are also going through their poorest run of form of the season and have gone four games without a win to drop out of the LaLiga title fight.

A fixture that two months ago looked liked it could have been a title fight clash that would be crucial in determining where the championship ended up is now one that sees the Andalusians looking to keep pace with Atletico Madrid and they will likely be looking to escape from Barcelona without taking too heavy a beating.

Messi also returns to action a full 13 days after his last appearance on the pitch, a rare occurrence for the Argentine when he isn't suffering from an injury.

Since Argentina's 1-0 win over Chile, he has been banned from two games, one with Argentina and one with Barcelona.

His club coped without him well at Granada but the Albiceleste weren't so fortunate and in the absence of their captain, as they fell to defeat in Bolivia, putting their World Cup qualification in increasing jeopardy.

Messi's legs will be fresh for the most important stretch of Barcelona's season, excellent news for Luis Enrique, given that the forward has 25 league goals and 41 in all competitions so far.

"He has been training at the highest level and the short break he has had has been very positive," said the coach, allaying any fears of rustiness. "He will be on the field giving his best."