Turan has slipped effortlessly into Barca the midfield and will be pushing for a start on his 29th birthday against Atletico where he established himself on the world stage and helped them win the La Liga title in 2014.
He watched the first months of this season from the sidelines following his move in July because he could not be registered until this transfer window due to the Catalan side’s FIFA ban.
“He is the type of player that likes to have the ball and so it is logical that he has adapted quickly to a team that looks to always have possession,” Luis Enrique told a news conference on Friday.
“He has also been able to take advantage during the four or five months this season when he could not play, to train with the players and get to know them.
“Anyone who likes to have the ball would like to play our system. On top of this though you have to work hard to pressure high up the pitch.”
Turan has recovered from a bout of flu which caused him to miss Wednesday’s King’s Cup triumph over Athletic Bilbao but he faces tough competition for a starting place with Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic in rich form.
Barca are ahead of Atletico on goal difference at the top of La Liga with a game in hand and they remain on course for a second successive treble.
They did start slowly in their La Liga win over Malaga last weekend as well as against Bilbao, when they had to come from behind, but Luis Enrique believes they will be firing on all cylinders from the kick-off against Atletico.
“We were not at our best in the first half against Malaga or Athletic and in the second half we gave another image,” he said.
“The fact that we improved in the game suggests it is not a physical problem and I have complete confidence that they will be strong from the start against Atletico.”
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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