BARCELONA (AFP) - Barcelona will make a late decision on the fitness of Ousmane Dembele ahead of their Champions League second leg against Lyon, coach Ernesto Valverde said on Tuesday (March 12).
Dembele sustained a minor hamstring strain against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday and is a doubt for the game at the Camp Nou, where Lyon arrive after a 0-0 draw in the first leg.
"We will see how he is and make a decision later," Valverde said.
"It is an important match but we cannot take any risks. If he isn't fit, he will have to wait for the next opportunity," he added.
Dembele's absence could mean a start for Philippe Coutinho, who has struggled in recent weeks and was whistled off by a minority of Barcelona fans when substituted last weekend.
Signed for €160 million (S$244 million) from Liverpool just over a year ago, Coutinho has started 16 of Barcelona's 27 La Liga games this season.
Asked if he had spoken to the Brazilian about his form, Valverde said: "The way we handle the players is a private matter. What we want is for them to give us their best and we expect a lot from him."
The pressure is on Coutinho, and Barca, to deliver against Lyon on Wednesday as they aim to make amends for a disappointing run of three consecutive quarter-final exits in the Champions League.
"The fact that Paris Saint-Germain and Madrid have been eliminated tells you how hard the competition is and warns us to be vigilant," Valverde said.
"The pressure is on to progress but we focus on the game and if we generate the same chances as we did in the first leg, we will go through."
Madrid sacked Santiago Solari and re-appointed Zinedine Zidane as coach on Monday after they lost to Ajax in the last 16, a defeat that came after consecutive losses to Barcelona.
"He's a great coach," Valverde said of Zidane. "We look forward to facing him next season."
Apr 27, 2019 · LONDON (AP) — Norwich is returning to the English Premier League after a three-year absence, and Sheffield United is likely to be promoted, too. Norwich, from eastern England, clinched one of
Norwich and Sheffield promoted to EPL, Football News & Top
Qualifying into the Champions League and Europa League from one of the top five leagues in Europe requires teams that lie in the top six. However, according to UEFA, these rules have some
Manchester City shows title credentials in derby win at Man
Jurgen Klopp will write himself into Liverpool folklore if he can guide the Reds to their first Klopp's Reds have suffered defeat in the but he is dealing with it well and is in control of
The Jurgen Klopp message that provided Liverpool with
Football: Pep Guardiola sorry to have derailed Manuel Pellegrini's final days at Man City. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during a Champions League game with Schalke 04 in Germany.
Guardiola sorry to have derailed Pellegrini's final days at City
Ligands bind to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in a site known as the "aromatic box" because it contains aromatic amino acids. Nicotine binds with much greater affinity to the AChR subtype in brain (α4β2), which is thought to be involved in nicotine addiction, than it does to the subtype in muscle (α1β1).
Meet Brains over Blonde Founder/CEO Anna Wood
Highlights. Manchester United beat Bayern Munich in charity match The charity game was a rematch of the 1999 Champions League final Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tormented Bayern Munich once again
Man Utd legends thrash Bayern in 1999 charity rematch
Jurgen Klopp hails Liverpool's fighting spirit as he sets points target for title. Mohamed Salah ran from inside his own half to find the net for the first time in nine Klopp said: "The
Klopp sets Liverpool a huge points target and hails Anfield
Football: Fandi Ahmad coy on SEA Games rule of two overaged players as he focuses on improving U-22 side we need players who can understand the way we want to play, how we defend and attack
Singapore Football : No.1 Source for SG Football Compilation
Hazard has been instrumental in Chelsea's unbeaten start under Maurizio Sarri, scoring eight goals in all competitions. — Reuters pic. LONDON, Oct 8 — Chelsea's Eden Hazard has cast fresh doubt over his future despite a blistering start to the season by admitting he is still tempted by the childhood dream of a move to Real Madrid.
Chelsea news: Hazard reunion ruled out by Thorgan as Eden
Mesut Ozil will return to the Arsenal squad for Saturday's Premier League visit of Burnley, with manager Unai Emery saying he believes the midfielder has a future at the Emirates Stadium.
Unai Emery says Mesut Ozil has a future at Arsenal | Football
Burnley made a big step towards securing Premier League survival after coming back from a goal down to beat Bournemouth 3-1 away as their striker Ashley Barnes scored at both ends in an action-packed contest on Saturday.
AFC Bournemouth vs. Burnley - Football Match Report - April 6
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen