FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Gerard Pique and Xavi Hernández, both of whom have been training individually recently, “will play some minutes” on Wednesday against Chivas de Guadalajara.
In the case of Xavi Hernández, this will be the first match he will play in this preseason, after spending the first weeks of preseason training working individually due to trouble with his soleus muscle (calf). Piqué, who played some minutes in the game against Bayern, will return to a position that, due to injuries and absences, has been short of players during this preseason.
Besides recovering Xavi and Piqué, Guardiola will also gain Adriano, joining the tour after his holidays. The remainder of the players that participated in the Copa America (Alves, Messi, Milito and Mascherano) will be added to the group on the 8th of August in Barcelona. On the possibility that these players will be ready to play the Spanish Super Cup games (August 14 and 17), Guardiola has not ruled it out though he didn’t guarantee that they participate either: “We’ll see how they do once they arrive. In terms of players available, I’ll decide who I will call the day before the game.”
Gerard Deulofeu and Sergi Gómez, who finished the U-19 European Championship on Monday (emerging as winners after a 2-3 win over the Czech Republic in extra time), will also be added to the team in Miami “to give rest to the people already here who have already played many minutes. They will be incorporated because of injuries and because I don’t have too many spare players. Besides, they come in good physical shape,” he added. The coach from Santpedor stated that he was “very satisfied” with the team’s preseason, because “we have competed very well, especially in the last match.”
Guardiola, who also confirmed that Jeffren will travel to Lisbon to close an agreement with Sporting de Portugal, said that he trusts the players he has available to confront the coming season and he has not wished to talk about possible signings: “It would be in bad taste for me to complain about the squad, with the players that I have.” And he has had complimentary words for Alexis Sánchez: “His joining us [will be] very good. He can occupy the 3 positions of attack, he is direct, intense and has ability in the 1 against 1. His [addition to the squad] will work well in all these facets.”
Villa: “At Barça, there will always be competition”
The arrival of Alexis expands the competition in the forward positions. But David Villa, who appeared with Guardiola at the press conference in Miami, was confident of the possibilities: “In a team as large as this, I will always have competition. Last year, this year, and the ones to come. This is the best team in the world.” The Asturian forward, who has been very pleased to be able to participate in the team’s preseason from the first day, believes that he has already adapted to the Barça style of play. “To play this way is not easy. Many teams try to play in the same style of Barça and few obtain it,” he stated.
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