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 รข‚¬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."
CARDIFF, Wales (REUTERS) - Bottom club Huddersfield Town ended their eight-match losing streak in the Premier League with a goalless draw at fellow strugglers Cardiff City on Saturday (Jan 12) but
Huddersfield end losing run with draw at Cardiff - Footballghana
Zinedine Zidane will make a shock return as coach of Real Madrid after the club decided on Monday to sack Santiago Solari, say reports in the Spanish press. Madrid president Florentino Perez has
Zidane set for shock Madrid return | The Guardian Nigeria
The 2019 season is Hougang United's 22nd consecutive season in the top flight of Singapore football and in the S.League. Along with the S.League, the club will also compete in the Singapore Cup. Note 1: Fazrul Nawaz returned to the team after the loan and subsequently complete the transfer.
Singapore's Hougang United forced to terminate Ramazotti's contract
AC Milan at risk of European ban as Uefa launch further investigation The Italian club has fallen foul of Uefa's financial rules since they spent €200 million on transfers in the summer of 2017.
[Spanish] [Non-VoiceOver] Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks | Shine Like Rainbows [HD] MLP Multilanguages. Shine Like Rainbows - Rainbow Rocks - Synthesia Piano Cover - Duration: 2:41.
Shine | QUESTIONS
Encounter specialist Daya Nayak is in the middle of a controversy once again. This time he is being accused of trading bodies with DIG Vanzara of the Gujarat
Boeheim courts controversy again in postgame remarks
Antoine Griezmann struck again as Atletico Madrid kept the pressure on Barcelona at the top of La Liga by beating in-form Getafe 2-0 on Saturday.
Griezmann on target again as Atletico edge closer to Barca
AFC Asian Cup 2019: Vietnam and their road to the quarter-finals, the story so far. But for those who have followed the trajectory of the Vietnam national team in recent times, this quarterfinal
Iraq & Football: A Remarkable Story of a Sport Lost & Found
Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has fuelled speculation about his future by confirming he is no longer contracted to Molde. The fan favourite joined on a deal until the end of the season 2018-19 season, after the sacking of Jose Mourinho in December. The intention was for
Solskjaer confirms his contract in Norway has expired
5 things to know about Liverpool's 4-0 Champions League win
The wife of Spain's World Cup-winning captain Iker Casillas, Sara Carbonero, has announced that she has undergone surgery for cancer just three weeks after the goalkeeper suffered a heart attack.
Iker Casillas' wife says she has had cancer op, days after
The Pakistan national under-17 football team is the under-17 football (soccer) team of Pakistan. The team has participated in the AFC U-16 Championship once in 2002 and has also participated in the SAFF U-16 Championship in 2011 and 2013, but withdrew in 2015 and did not enter in 2017. Pakistan national under-20 football team
History - db0nus869y26v.cloudfront.net
Tottenham moved back into second place in the Premier League, six points behind leaders Liverpool, after cruising to a 3-0 win at lowly Cardiff City. Spurs back up to second after win at Cardiff.
Spurs back up to second after 3-0 win at Cardiff - Football
TURIN, Italy (REUTERS) - Cristiano Ronaldo headed a late equaliser to deny Torino their first win away to neighbours Juventus for 24 years as the two sides drew 1-1 in Serie A on Friday (May 3)..
Late Ronaldo goal foils Torino - Football - Eurosport
0 comments:
Post a Comment