Barcelona's David Villa fit to play after 3-game absence

Barcelona says striker David Villa has recovered from a leg injury and is fit to play. Villa missed the last three games after hurting a muscle in his right

David Villa and Barcelona are in first place in La Liga over Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid :: Manu Fernandez/AP

Barcelona says striker David Villa has recovered from a leg injury and is fit to play.

Villa missed the last three games after hurting a muscle in his right leg during his two-goal effort against Cordoba on Jan. 10.

Barcelona visits Malaga on Thursday in the second leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal. They drew 2-2 at Camp Nou in the first leg.

Villa has scored 10 goals this season despite limited playing time since returning from a long layoff while healing a broken leg.

Barcelona leads the Spanish league by eight points just past the season's midway point.