FCBARCELONA.CAT

12.08.2009 12:38

International evening

www.fcbarcelona.cat

A total of nine FC Barcelona are set to appear for their national teams on Wednesday evening, while three more were called up but will not play for various reasons.

The only Blaugrana star to be playing in a World Cup qualifier is Éric Abidal, who should be named by France in their game against the Faroe Islands and 6pm. Thierry Henry was included in the French squad by coach Raymond Domenèch, but he did not travel after suffering more problems with his Achilles tendon.

Four players with Spain

The game that will have the most Barça players involved will be the friendly between Macedonia and Spain in Skopje as Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Xavi Hernández and Sergi Busquets are all in Vicente del Bosque's squad. All four were also chosen for the Confederations Cup tournament in South Africa at the end of last season.

Dani Alves has travelled to the Estonian capital Tallinn where he should play for Brazil in the country's first friendly since they won the aforementioned Confederations Cup. Eidur Gudjohnsen will also captain his country when Iceland take on Slovakia in Rekjavik.

Barça's two African players, Touré Yaya and Seydou Keita will also play for the nations with the former playing in the Ivory Coast's game against Tunisia and the second travelling to Paris to play for Mali against Burkina Faso.

Messi and Márquez travelled

Lionel Messi will not play for Argentina in their friendly against Russia in Moscow after suffering a muscle strain, but he will stay with the squad and return, as scheduled, to Barcelona on Thursday.

Rafael Márquez was named by Mexico for their match against the United States and has travelled to be with the squad, despite the fact that he is injured, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic was left out of the Sweden squad for their match against Finland while he continues to recover from his hand injury.