Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images Europe
By JUSTIN FERGUSON
Barcelona winger Pedro will be out of commission for the next 10 days after injuring his calf during Spain’s 1-0 World Cup qualifier victory over France.
The 25-year-old, who scored the game-winner for his country, was subbed off in the 77th minute on Tuesday. His club said Wednesday that he has “small muscle fiber tears” in his left leg.
The injury will keep Pedro out of Barcelona’s weekend match at Celta Vigo and the first leg of the club’s Champions League quarterfinal with Paris Saint-Germain. Pedro has started most of the La Liga-leading club’s matches this season, compiling five goals and five assists across all competitions.
Here are some more stories to wrap up your Wednesday:
YAYA TOURE DENIES PSG MOVE
Manchester City’s Yaya Toure shot down reports of a move to Paris-Saint Germain on Wednesday, telling Sport-Ivoire that he is “a City player for the moment.”
Transfer speculation surrounded the Ivorian midfielder after his agent issued Manchester City an ultimatum last Wednesday, saying his client would leave if the club did not offer him a new contract by the end of the week. But Toure, who joined City from Barcelona in 2010, has not given any indication that he is going to leave Manchester.
Toure signed a five-year contract with Manchester City upon his arrival in 2010. Toure’s older brother Kolo, one of the main reasons why Yaya left Barcelona, is expected to leave City this summer.
CARRAGHER AND REINA AVAILABLE FOR LIVERPOOL THIS WEEKEND
Liverpool veterans Jamie Carragher and Pepe Reina could make a return to the Reds’ lineup for their clash with Aston Villa on Sunday.
Carragher sat out Liverpool’s last league match, a 3-1 defeat at Southampton, with a shin injury. The 35-year-old defender started the previous eight matches for Liverpool after failing to grab a place in Brendan Rodgers’s squad during the first half of the season. Carragher, who is set to retire at the end of the season, has spent his entire career at the club.
Reina has missed Liverpool’s last two matches with a calf injury. The Reds’ first-choice goalkeeper was available from the bench for Spain’s World Cup qualifiers against Finland and France.
QUICK KICKS
Fiorentina’s Luca Toni advised highly touted teammate Stevan Jovetic to join a club bigger than Arsenal, saying that the London club is “not better than Fiorentina.” (REPORT)
Anzhi forward Samuel Eto’o will be sideline for the next three weeks after picking up a knee injury while during Cameroon’s 2-1 World Cup qualifier win over Togo. (REPORT)
Japan will file a complaint with FIFA that two of its players were targeted with laser pointers from the crowd during Tuesday’s shocking 2-1 loss to Jordan. (REPORT)
Italy manager Cesare Prandelli says that he would like to see his squad play Argentina in a friendly dedicated to newly elected Pope Francis. (REPORT)
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What do you think of these reports? How do you think the Pedro injury will affect Barcelona in its upcoming matches? Do you think Yaya Toure will stay at Manchester City? What are your thoughts on Toni’s comments about Jovetic and Arsenal?
Share your comments below.
Wow, Pedro out! Does Barca have enough depth to find a reliable goal scorer from the roster?
Yaya Toure makes $335,190.70 each week, that is $8,379.77 per hour for a normal 40-hour-per-week working human being. And he plays a sport for a living.
And he wants a pay raise…
the guy needs some head & shoulders
Sounds like just the thing the pope would approve of… not…but if the funds raised went to some Catholic social justice program maybe it would fly with him.
I get that Arsenal isnt what they once were but they are clearly a larger club than Fiorentina, get real Toni
Japan just don’t know. USA deals with this every away game.
Yup. You could see a ton of layers all around Gzan on one of the goal kicks.