Barcelona Keeper Victor Valdes Faces Up To Six Weeks Out After Suffering Knee Injury
Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes is a doubt for tonight’s La Liga fixture with Athletic Bilbao due to a knee problem.
The Blaugrana shot-stopper picked up the knock in training yesterday and was immediately assessed by club doctors, who warned that the player will be doubtful for the match.
Coach Pep Guardiola has called up Oier from the B team as cover in case Valdes is ruled out, while Jose Pinto is in line to make his first league start for the club in over two years.
Valdes will undergo further examinations this afternoon, and Guardiola will give him every chance to prove his fitness right up until kick-off against the Basque side.
Striker David Villa had also been considered a doubt for the match after suffering from a bruised ankle, but trained as normal with the rest of the squad yesterday, and is expected to start.
UPDATE 19:00 CET: Valdes' injury looks to be more serious than initially feared, with reports emanating from Spain suggesting that he could be out of action for as long as six weeks. The keeper is likely to need surgery, meaning that Jose Pinto will be required to deputise during a crucial spell of Barca's season.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/12/spain/2011/02/20/2360605/barcelona-keeper-victor-valdes-faces-up-to-six-weeks-out
