FCBARCELONA.CAT

07.06.2007 21:28

“We have to be prepared"

Miriam Nadal

Deco is confident that the team will be able to count on Ronaldinho for the Derby this Saturday, but says the team is also prepared to play without the Brazilian ace.

In order for Ronnie to be able to play against Espanyol this Saturday, his red card against Getafe would have to be rescinded. The team, however, are prepared for all possible outcomes: “We hope he plays; we’re a stronger team with him, however, we have to be prepared to play without him. His sanction could be lifted or not”, commented the Portuguese midfielder.

Last games decisive

The Blaugrana player thinks that this weekend will not be as decisive as the following weekend. There’s too much at stake for the teams vying for the title to make mistakes. “I see both us and Madrid facing stiff competition at home. It’ll be exciting having it all to play for in the last game,” finished Deco.

Rival Understanding

Deco understands Espanyol’s “extra motivation” in the derby on Saturday; they are the biggest local rivals and they want to give their fans something to cheer about. “It’s normal, Espanyol want to win the derby. Zaragoza, who play Madrid – have their own aspirations of reaching the UEFA cup. They want to play a good game – we shouldn’t worry about this, we have to keep our heads,” admitted Deco.