Neymar Axe Talk Rubbished by Luis Enrique as Lionel Messi Warns Barcelona

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has reiterated he didn't drop Neymar during Wednesday's 4-0 win over Almeria due to a lack of goals.

Pedro replaced the Brazilian in Barca's front three, but Enrique has confirmed this decision was down to fatigue, nothing more sinister. "Neymar is the only one who didn't get a rest with his national team (during the international break)," said Enrique, reported by Sky Sports. "So I called (up) Pedro, who was in the best possible condition."

Prior to the match, Enrique dismissed suggestions he would drop Neymar because he hasn't scored in five matches for the club. His comments were posted by AS: "I'm not worried about him. He is out of this world as a player. The way he trains, I'm sure the goals will come back. He gives a lot of important things to the team."

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Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC noted Neymar's excellence across the season:

Neymar remains one of the most in-demand players in the world, whether he's playing for Barca or Brazil. Fans pay to see him and coaches want to utilise him. As highlighted at the 2014 World Cup, he is already considered a leader for the Samba Boys. His goal in the recent 3-1 win over France underlined this.

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A Luis Suarez brace, plus goals from Lionel Messi and Marc Bartra saw off Almeria. Neymar grabbed his rest without the team struggling, so that's excellent news for Enrique. The manager suggested his men "slowed up a bit when the match was practically over," no doubt saving themselves for greater challenges ahead.

Messi acknowledged this on Facebook (h/t AS): "We won today, but there is still plenty to do."

There's no room for Barcelona to get complacent at this stage of the season. The four-point lead over Real Madrid appears a chasm right now, but Barca know better than most how quickly this can subside. Enrique's men have strung together six straight wins, per WhoScored.com, losing just two league games since the turn of the year to overhaul Madrid at the top.

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The team has found an impressive rhythm, particularly as Enrique's system struggled at the beginning of the season. With players such as Suarez steadily coming into form, Neymar's rest should have passed without being noticed.

He is improving all the time at Barca, working avidly to ensure nothing is taken for granted. It's a symbol of Neymar's stature that after one absence, Enrique is forced to defend his decision. We can expect the player to remain key as the season concludes, whether goals arrive or not.