FCBARCELONA.CAT

27.02.2007 17:05

Eto'o not travelling to Zaragoza

Samuel Eto'o is the biggest name missing from the squad to travel to Zaragoza for the second leg of the quarter finals of the Spanish cup. The club doctors have decided it would better for him to stay behind and continue his treatment programme.

Frank Rijkaard has published his list of 16 players for the Zaragoza showdown in which the side will need to bounce back from 1-0 home defeat. Samuel Eto'o will be staying in Barcelona to continue his rehabilitation.

The club medical services have recently examined the progress of the Cameroonian’s right knee and announced that “the results show that he is recovering positively from the injury. He needs to maintain the dynamics of the treatment up until now and this needs to be carefully measured”. Eto’o started last weekend’s league encounter against Bilbao, and scored a goal to boot.

Changes in the middle

Deco comes back into midfield for this game after being suspended at the weekend. That means neither Edmílson nor Motta make the squad, which will imply several modifications to the plan in midfield. The two main options are to move Rafa Márquez into a more advanced position in front of the two centre backs, the other would be to play three in the middle, namely Xavi, Deco and Iniesta, a tactic rarely employed by Rijkaard, but which may the answer at La Romareda, where nothing but a win will be of use. At full back, Belletti is injured and Sylvinho has been dropped, which means these two positions are going to be offered any two of Gio, Zambrotta and Oleguer.

The absence of Eto’o will also mean changes, and with Ezquerro left out of the squad too, it looks like the strike force will feature Saviola or Gudjohnsen, with support from Ronaldinho, Messi and Giuly.