05.10.2009 11:42
International call-up for Barça 13
Roger Bogunyà
Thirteen Barça players are taking a break from club commitments to join up with their national sides.
Keita, Touré Puyol, Piqué, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Abidal, Henry, Ibrahimovic, Márquez, Messi and
Alves. Keita and Touré have just the one match coming up – Mali v Sudan, and Ivory Coast v
Malawi - while the rest of their team-mates have two.
Pressure off Spain 5
Barça’s five Spanish internationals are involved in World Cup qualifiers
against Armenia and Bosnia but with Spain already through to the finals in South Africa, the
pressure is off.
A short trip for Henry and Abidal
However, that’s not the case for Henry and Abidal and their French team, who face
must-win home games against Faeroe Isles and Austria. Ibrahimovic and Sweden also have everything
at stake against Denmark (away) and Albania (home).
Brazil and Argentina
As for the Latin American contingent, Alves has already booked his
place in South Africa with Brazil and so has nothing to lose in the matches against Bolivia and
Venezuela.
However, it’s a very different story for Leo Messi and Argentina, who can still
qualify, directly or via the playoffs, but who face the real prospect of failing to make the
finals. They have two games at home against Peru and Uruguay to put their campaign back on course.
Finally, Márquez can clinch his place in South Africa in Mexico’s matches against El Salvador
and Trinidad & Tobago.
No travel for Chygrynskiy
Dmitro Chygrynskiy will miss Ukraine’s matches against England and Andorra due to injury.
However, he will not have to travel to the Ukraine for verification of his injury as the head of
the Ukraine medical services, Igor Maluta, also holds the same position with Dynamo Kiev, and was
able to examine the player on Tuesday.