Barcelona wait on Xavi’s fitness ahead of Plzen game

Posted Tuesday, November 01, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

PRAGUE, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Injured Barcelona captain Xavi faces an anxious wait to see if will be able to take to the field against Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday when the Spanish giants will try to seal their place in the next stage of the Champions League.

Coach Pep Guardiola was concerned about midfielder Xavi's fitness ahead of the Group H encounter against Viktoria, especially since striker Pedro Rodriguez has already been ruled out with an ankle injury.

"Xavi has problems with his calf muscle, probably caused by exhaustion. We will see at the practice tomorrow how it looks like and we will decide if he plays," Guardiola told reporters on Monday.

Barcelona and group rivals AC Milan will go through to the knockout phase if they win this week. Both clubs are on seven points after three group games. Plzen, who have failed to win a Champions League match in their debut season, and BATE Borisov have one point each.

"This is a very important game. The sooner we have certainty, the better. It would mean that (in our future group matches) against AC Milan and BATE we will be in an easier position," Guardiola said.