Football: Van Gaal's problem is missing players
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INJURIES AND ineligibility have contrived to limit the options of the Barcelona coach, Louis van Gaal, for the European Cup Champions' League Group D match against their Danish visitors Brondby today.
The lengthy injury list includes Oscar Garcia, Albert Celedes and Miguel Angel Nadal. Patrick Kluivert and Mauricio Pellegrino are the men who are ineligible.
The Brazilian Sonny Anderson will return as the Barcelona target man in place of Kluivert and Van Gaal indicated he was considering recalling the Nigerian teenager Gbenga Okunowo to the right-back position and returning Luis Enrique Martinez to his more natural role as a central midfielder. Rivaldo would then move out to the far left, leaving the Dutch international Boudewijn Zenden to sit among the substitutes.
Real Madrid arrived in Russia with a bulging winter wardrobe determined not to let Spartak Moscow or the local weather freeze them out of Wednesday's European Cup Champions' League Group C game.
The Spaniards arrived on Monday minus injured World Cup top scorer Davor Suker but with an array of hats, gloves and fleece jackets and a tonne of meat and vegetables.
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