HENRY SET FOR BENCH ROLE
Thierry Henry will have to be content with a place on the bench when Barcelona visit Racing Santander in the first round of the Primera Liga on Sunday.
The former Arsenal forward has impressed in pre-season, but looks set to make way as Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard keeps faith with his trusty trident formed by Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o.
Rijkaard confirmed on Saturday that one of the four stars would be left out of the side, but refused to reveal which player would make way.
However, Henry looks certain to be the first victim of the coach's rotation system as Rijkaard searches for a winning formula to regain the league title snatched from the team's grasp at the end of last season by bitter rivals Real Madrid.
The Dutch manager claims picking the side was easy.
"I didn't doubt much, I simply made a choice," he said.
The former Holland coach admitted that his side are one of the favourites to win the Primera Liga and declared himself happy with the team's preparations for the new campaign.
"We are one of the favourites, but that's normal. There is a good dynamic, the new players have adapted well, as have the younger players. The working atmosphere is good and the attitude of the players has been very good."
Young Mexican forward Giovani Dos Santos is one of the young players who made the step up from youth team to first team during pre-season, but the Under-17 world champion is awaiting dual nationality and has been left out of the squad for the game against Racing.
One youngster who has been included in the party to travel to Santander is midfielder Marc Crosas, who has been compared in stature and style to Barcelona legend Pep Guardiola.
Crosas is unlikely to play any part against Racing as Rijkaard hands a debut to Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure in the holding role.
Deco and Andres Iniesta look set to start alongside the African in the coach's three-man midfield, with Xavi dropping to the bench.
At the back, Carles Puyol's continued absence through injury means Mexico captain Rafael Marquez will partner veteran Frenchman Lilian Thuram in central defence, with France full-back Eric Abidal set to make his debut on the right.
Eidur Gudjohnsen, Edmilson and Thiago Motta are all sidelined.
Meanwhile, Ronaldinho said on Friday that he hopes this season will be his best ever.
"I'm going to make a big effort to ensure that this is my best season. I'm really pleased with the way things have gone in pre-season. When you are in good physical shape, things come more easily and every day I feel more motivated," he said.
Racing coach Marcelino Garcia Toral is less optimistic ahead of the new season.
The former Recreativo Huelva manager snubbed a move to Real Betis earlier in the summer to join Racing, but has been frustrated by the lack of new signings and believes his side will struggle to compete in the Primera Liga unless reinforcements arrive in the next few days.
"At the moment we desperately need to strengthen, probably more than any other team in the Primera Liga. If we don't do so, we will be relegation candidates," he said.
Serbian striker Nikola Zigic and Argentinian midfielder Lionel Scaloni have departed, but replacements have not been brought in and Garcia Toral believes his side may struggle against Barcelona.
"They are the best attacking side in the world and we need them to have a bad day, because at their best they are very difficult to play against," he added.
Racing have no major injury worries for Sunday's match.
This post has been edited by zvintik on 26 Aug 2007, 12:14
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