FCBARCELONA.CAT

11.11.2007 18:40

International week

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The first team will return to training this week with some absentees due to the international matches being played. Nevertheless, for the cup tie against Alcoyano, Rijkaard can call on his European internationals, as well as Touré.

During the week players will be called on by their national managers to meet up with their respective national squads. From Wednesday onwards Frank Rijkaard will start to lose players. The only exception is the South American players Milito, Messi and Ronaldinho who already left for Argentina and Brazil on Saturday night; the three players have games to play in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers for South Africa 2010. The ‘canarinha’ play against Peru in Lima this Sunday coming and on November 21st against Uruguay in Sao Paolo. Argentina play against Bolivia on Saturday 17th and on the 20th against Colombia in Bogota.

Cup tie

Luis Aragonés has called on three Barça players for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Sweden (17th November) and Northern Ireland (21st November). Puyol, Iniesta and Xavi will have to meet up with the Spanish squad on Wednesday. This will make them available to play in the cup tie against Alcoyano on Tuesday. Bojan, who has been called up for the U-21s, will also meet up with his squad on Wednesday. The young azulgrana striker only has one game with the Spanish national side against Poland in Ponferrada on Friday. This is a qualifier for the European U-21championships.

Abidal, Thuram and Henry will also leave on Friday to meet up with the French national squad. ‘Les Bleus’ play a friendly on Friday against Morocco in Saint Denis. Then on the 21st they have a Euro 2008 qualifier against Ukraine in Kiev.

Gudjohnsen and Touré

The last of the internationals to leave for international duty will be
Eidur Gudjohnsen and Touré Yaya. The Iceland player will leave on Saturday to play on the following Wednesday against Denmark in Copenhagen.
Touré Yaya will play a friendly against Angola on Sunday in the French town of Melun. The Ivory Coast player will meet up with his international team mates the day before (Saturday).