FCBARCELONA.CAT

15.12.2008 14:44

Iniesta: "Not long to go before I can play"

Eduard Pujol / Anna Segura

This Tuesday it will be six weeks since Andrés Iniesta got injured in the game against Basel. The midfielder spoke to 'Barça Notícies' on Barça TV about how he and the team are feeling at this stage of the season.

The image of Andrés Iniesta stretched out on the Camp Nou turf during the Champions League game against Basel and gently touching his right thigh is one that Barça fans would like to forget. Six weeks later the midfielder is almost at the end of his recovery process.

Iniesta appeared on the lunchtime edition of 'Barça Notícies' on Barça TV to talk about how the team is going and how he is feeling.

Eight points ahead of the team in second place and twelve ahead of Madrid. Now what?

"Well, to keep going in the same way in the last match before the break. The most important thing is the team’s mental toughness and we have to keep on that way until the end."

Without that mental toughness, when Eto'o missed the penalty you might not have won. Instead the players kept on going.

"That’s one of the key things about this team. Right from the start we played our game and went out to win. Some games are easier and others are harder, but it’s that mental toughness which keeps you going to the end."

What were you thinking when Drenthe had that great chance?

"I have a lot of faith in Víctor Valdés and he’s really good at one on ones. Fortunately for us he blocked Drenthe’s shot and we won."

And then everyone went mad when Barça scored twice?

"Madrid had had two chances and then we missed a penalty. That’s why Eto'o’s goal was crucial. And then Messi’s strike was the icing on the cake to get 12 points ahead of Madrid and keep pushing on."

With an eight point advantage over the team in second place, how is the team aiming to maintain its good form?

"Eight points is a big gap but there are still a lot of games to go, and we need to keep that at the front of our minds."

It’ll be six weeks tomorrow since you got injured. How are you feeling?

"I’m feeling good and getting to the end of my layoff."

You trained again last week. That must have been a great feeling.

"Very much so, because being out injured is the worst thing that can happen to you as a player. When you get back to training and playing with your team-mates it’s great. There’s not long to go before I can play again, which is what I really want."

Will that be against Villarreal on Sunday?

"I’m getting back into things and we’ll see how I am this week. When I’m ready, I’ll play; I said when I got injured I wouldn’t come back until I’m 100% fit. I don’t want to come back early because I might be out for longer if I do."

What’s your impression of the team when you’re out?

"You can’t do much from the outside, and that’s not a nice feeling. But I’ve been okay because the team has been doing really well.”

What do you think of the season so far?

"The team’s doing really well. We’ve worked hard from the start and we’re now reaping the benefit. But we still lost at Numancia and drew with Racing in our first two games and people were worried. Since then the results have got better and we need to keep working to make sure it continues that way."