FCBARCELONA.CAT

16.02.2010 14:37

Midfield changes required

Jaume Marcet

Injuries to Touré Yaya, Seydou keita and Xavi will mean that coach Pep Guardiola will have to reorganise his midfield and change things around on Sunday when Racing Santander visit Camp Nou.

Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta are the only midfielders available from the regular first-team squad so the Blaugrana may have to look to their youth ranks once again.

First-team choices

A number of players can fill in as the defensive midfielder with Rafael Márquez can step forward while Gerard Piqué could fill in should that option be necessary.

While Márquez was a regular there under Frank Rijkaard, Piqué showed that he is also capable when playing for Catalunya against Argentina over the Christmas holiday. Dmytro Chygrynskiy could be another option should he recover from injury in time.

Young stars

If Guardiola chooses to look to the B team and below then his options will increase. To play in Xavi's role he can choose either Jonathan Dos Santos or Thiago, while Oriol Romeu can play in the same way as Touré.

Keita's position is similar to that played by Martí Riverola or Sergi Roberto and Guardiola may ask either of them to step up and play at the highest level.

Messi option

The other option to fill a midfield place is Lionel Messi who could drop back and play behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic as an attacking influence from the centre.