Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez will play against Milan next week despite the fact that he may not be 100 per cent fit.
The midfielder is still struggling to recover from a thigh injury sustained last month, but is adamant that he’ll feature in the Champions League.
Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez will play against Milan next week despite the fact that he may not be 100 per cent fit.
The midfielder is still struggling to recover from a thigh injury sustained last month, but is adamant that he’ll feature in the Champions League.
“We are playing for much of our season on Tuesday and I want to be available,” the 33-year-old told Mundo Deportivo today. “I hope to be in perfect condition, but I will have to work for it.
“I have a little tear and I can feel something there, but there are still some days to go and I hope to be OK before the game.
“I really want to play – it is the Champions League. I will do everything to be at my best, if not at 100 per cent then at 90 per cent or 95 per cent.
“I am a playmaker, not an explosive player that goes from one end of the pitch to the other.”
The Italian giants will arrive at the Nou Camp in the second leg of their last 16 tie with a 2-0 advantage.
“I see a game in which they will be very defensive, where we will need to move the ball a lot and I want to be there to give that fluidity that we will need,” the international added.
“I want to be important for the game and the team.”