FCBARCELONA.CAT

30.12.2008 14:00

Iniesta: “I am extremely keen to play”

Roger Bogunyà

Andrés Iniesta is back. He was given the medical go-ahead on Monday and all he has on his mind is playing for Barça again. “I have never been injured for so long and I am extremely keen to play” he said.

If Josep Guardiola so decides, Andrés Iniesta will start 2009 as he did not end 2008: playing football. The Spanish international has been declared fully fit after almost two months on the sidelines, and claims to be finding his form again. “It is the kind of injury where you suddenly feel you are fine again, but you have to be careful. I think everything went well. Now I’m fine, training as normal, just like the others”, he said.

Missing playing but enjoying the team

Being sidelined is never nice for any player, but Iniesta sees the positive side of things. “You suffer from being out, but in this case I’ve enjoyed myself because the team has played good football, we’ve been winning I don’t think we could ask to be in a better position than the one we are in.”

Squad bigger than any individuals

Much of the reason for Barça’s excellent situation is the enormous strength in depth in the squad. “We are all getting time on the pitch and performing at a high level, and that’s more important than any individuals. I said after I got inured that I had no worries, because I know we have a great squad” he explained.

No problem with two-day holiday

The player also reiterated that he had no qualms about Keita, Messi, Eto'o, Cáceres and Alves getting a longer holiday than the other players. “They are colleagues that deserve a day or two more, because their families are much further away and they hardly get any chance to see tem over the year. If the squad hadn’t agreed to it, then they wouldn’t have got that time, but there really isn’t a problem” he said.