Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has called Wednesday`s King`s Cup semi-final second leg against Valencia "a game for men" while revealing little about the state of his injured players.
|Last Updated: Feb 08, 2012, 09:30 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Madrid: Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has called Wednesday`s King`s Cup semi-final second leg against Valencia "a game for men" while revealing little about the state of his injured players.
The world and European champions have suffered a string of injuries which have contributed to their slight dip in form over recent weeks.
Carles Puyol`s away goal in the 1-1 draw from the first leg last week gives Barca a slight edge against a team who have always made life tough for them.
"We play 11 against 11, there will be seven substitutes on the bench, and we are doing well," Guardiola told a news conference on Tuesday when asked about his possible team selection.
"It will be a game for men, it will be very demanding, and we`ll need everyone to be at 100 percent."
Spanish internationals Andres Iniesta and Pedro returned to training with the rest of the squad after injury on Monday, although they took part in only part of the session.
Playmaker Xavi was surprisingly rested for their last two matches, including the first leg last week, while Chile forward Alexis Sanchez has been struggling with a shoulder problem.
Midfielder Sergio Busquets needed stitches in a gashed knee after Saturday`s 2-1 league win over Real Sociedad while Ibrahim Afellay and David Villa are long-term injury victims.
"The most doubtful of the players is Busquets," Guardiola added. "Xavi is fine and Alexis is okay although he is still suffering a little.
"They have trained pretty well, we`ll see how they are tomorrow."
Valencia coach Unai Emery, asked about Barca`s cagey handling of injury news recently, replied: "It`s a good strategy not to let on anything to your rival. If we knew, would it be an advantage?"
Barcelona are seeking their third final appearance in four years, and a possible 14th title since Guardiola took the helm in 2008.
"If we don`t make it, we remain alive in two competitions," Guardiola said. "We have a chance to play our fourth final this season and the players are aware of that.
"The quarters and semis have been very tough but we have responded in an extraordinary way."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.