Injury bugbear bites Rijkaard
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Your support makes all the difference.In the aftermath of an international break the loudest noise is always the sound of club managers bewailing the new injuries their players have suffered.
Rafael Benitez's complaint regarding Fernando Torres is echoed across Europe with Gianluca Zambrotta and Deco (both Barcelona), Angel (Villarreal), Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina), Samir Nasri (Marseilles) and Vincent Kompany (Hamburg) among those who picked up knocks in midweek. Frank Rijkaard, Barça's coach, has more reason to moan than most since his team, still six points adrift of Real Madrid, are at Seville tonight, but there was a reminder to all unhappy coaches that injuries can happen in training as well when Guti was ruled out of Real's home match with Valladolid tomorrow.
Injuries can be overcome – with a big enough squad. Internazionale, who have an eight-point lead in Serie A despite a crammed treatment room, may recall Luis Figo at Catania tomorrow after three months out with a broken leg. Marco Materazzi should return after missing Italy's defeat of Portugal with a back injury – it is not just English internationals whose "injuries" mysteriously clear up for club games – but Patrick Vieira is suspended.
The top four meet in Germany with Werder Bremen, who lost the joint lead when beaten at home by Bochum last week, anxious to avoid defeat to Bayern Munich tomorrow. The leaders are without Franck Ribéry but Werder have several absentees including Torsten Frings. Fourth-placed Hamburg hope to halt their slide in form at third-placed Bayer Leverkusen today.
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