Xavi ruled out of Stuttgart decider
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Article summary
Xavi Hernández has been ruled out of the second leg of FC Barcelona's first knockout round tie against VfB Stuttgart after suffering a calf tear, though Seydou Keita has been passed fit to play.
Article top media content
Article body
FC Barcelona will be without Xavi Hernández for Wednesday's UEFA Champions League first knockout round second leg against VfB Stuttgart after the midfielder suffered a right calf tear.
The 30-year-old sustained the injury in training on Tuesday and it is thought he will be out of action for a fortnight, potentially ruling him out of the first leg of any quarter-final should Barcelona qualify.
On a brighter note for the Blaugrana, Seydou Keita has been declared fit for selection, with the Mali midfielder fully recovered from the hamstring tear that kept him sidelined for a month.
With the tie balanced at 1-1, Barça will hope to overcome Stuttgart at Camp Nou and become Spain's sole representative in Friday's quarter-final draw after Sevilla FC were eliminated by PFC CSKA Moskva on Tuesday.
