Messi back in Barça fold for King’s Cup Getafe rematch

Lionel Messi has returned to the Barcelona squad for the Camp Nou club's King's Cup last-16 trip to Getafe on Wednesday (Antena 3, 10pm). The Argentina captain has been sidelined through injury for two months and may feature against the southern Madrid side, which memorably put four past Barcelona in the Coliseum to reach the 2007 final after a 5-2 drubbing in the opening leg.

Real Madrid hosts Osasuna on Thursday (Canal+, 9pm) in the Bernabéu with the Pamplona-based club holding the distinction of having taken points from both Carlo Ancelotti's side and Barcelona in the league this season.

Those, though, were gained in the confines of the El Sadar stadium, where a raucous home support is very much the proverbial 12th man. In the Bernabéu, matters are likely to be different with Real able to field its full array of attacking talent after Gareth Bale's return to the squad.

Second-tier Alcorcón, the author of another titanic giant-slaying in 2009 when it beat Real 4-0, takes on misfiring Espanyol in an attempt to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in the club's history.

The only other non-top flight club left in the competition, Segunda B outfit Racing Santander, hosts Almería having dumped Sevilla out in the previous round.

Other fixtures: Rayo-Levante; Real Sociedad-Villarreal; Betis-Athletic Bilbao.