Borussia Monchengladbach have extended the contract of coach Andre Schubert until 2019 as his side prepare to face Barcelona, albeit minus Lionel Messi, in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Barcelona opened their Champions League campaign a fortnight ago with a 7-0 drubbing of Celtic at the Camp Nou while Gladbach suffered a 4-0 defeat at Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

Nevertheless, Schubert was on Tuesday rewarded with a new deal in recognition of steering Gladbach from bottom of the Bundesliga when he took over in September 2015 to Champions League qualification by finishing fourth.

"Andre is doing a very good job," said Gladbach's director of sport Max Eberl.

"He has led the team to the Champions League and in the 34 Bundesliga games under him, we have taken 65 points.

"That is an exceptional balance."

The show of faith in the 45-year-old coach is a timely boost ahead of the visit of Luis Enrique's Barcelona, who are without groin-injury victim Messi.

The 29-year-old missed Saturday's 5-0 thrashing away to Sporting Gijon and is due to also sit out their forthcoming Spanish league match at Celta Vigo.

In Messi's absence, Luis Suarez and Neymar came to the fore at Gijon, who played the final ten minutes with ten men, as Suarez opened the scoring before Neymar netted twice in the closing stages.

Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba, Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta were all rested at Sporting and the quartet are expected to return in Germany.

With Rakitic and Iniesta returning to the midfield, Turkey international Arda Turan is likely to move forward to accompany Suarez and Neymar.

For the German hosts, Brazilian forward Raffael and winger Patrick Herrmann are expected to return after recent injuries.

Both Tobias Strobl (thigh) and Alvaro Dominguez (back) will be absent, but there are no fresh injury concerns for Gladbach's coach Schubert.

Barca goalkeeper Marc Andre ter Stegen will keep his place on his return to the club where he started his career before joining the Spanish giants in 2014.

"Borussia is my first love and that will always be the case. My farewell really was overwhelming," said the 24-year-old Germany shot-stopper, who won the 2015 Champions League with Barca in Berlin.

"My return to Gladbach has definitely come sooner than expected, and I absolutely cannot wait for it.

"I had a great time there, and spent my entire career there apart from the last two years.

"I think that the fans know just how much I took this club to heart and that I've always given everything for the club.

"But Barcelona was one of the few clubs I just couldn't turn down. I'm sure the Borussia fans can understand the decision that I made."