Once more Barça have suffered an exodus of players due to international matches. 13 players are away, some for more than a week.

Between friendlies, Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 qualifiers and Under 21 matches, Barça will be missing Deco, with Portugal, Messi and Milito, with Argentina, Ronaldinho, with Brazil, Thuram, Henry and Abidal, with France, Iniesta, Puyol and Xavi with Spain, Gudjohnsen with Iceland, Giovani with Mexico and Bojan with Spain Under 21.

Run in towards Euro 2008

Qualification for Euro 2008 is going into its final stage. Spain, France, Iceland and Portugal have especially tense matches. Henry, Abidal and Thuram desperately need all six points out of their games with the Faroes and Lithuania on the 13th and 17th to keep up the pace with Italy and Scotland. Spain are in a similar position. Luis Aragonés takes his side to Denmark on the 13th where a win would see them half way to the finals but defeat could prove catastrophic.

Deco’s Portugal also need to win as they face two of the weaker sides in Group A, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Both are away fixtures, on the 13th and 17th respectively. Meanwhile, Iceland now have no chance and qualifying, and take on Latvia on the 13th and Liechtenstein on the 17th.

Bojan seeks Under 21 Finals berth

One other Barça player has an official UEFA game this week. Bojan Krkic is helping Spain on the way to the Under 21 European Championship to be held between the 14th and 27th June, 2009, in Sweden. Wloklawec is the venue on Friday 12 as Poland take on Spain.

World Cup 2010 qualification

In South America interest has already turned to the 2010 World Cup. Argentina, with Milito and Messi play Chile in Buenos Aires on the 13th and then go to Maracaibo in Venezuela on the 16th. Ronaldinho also has two qualifiers this week, against Colombia on the 14th in Bogotá and then on the 17th, Brazil face Ecuador in Río de Janeiro.

Friendlies

Other Barça players have friendly internationals ahead of them. Giovani has two. On the 14th it is Mexico v Nigeria in Juárez (Mexico), and on the 17th its off to Los Ángeles (USA) and a game with Guatemala. Spain, featuring Xavi, Puyol and Iniesta, also have a friendly, when they face Finland in Helsinki on the 17th.

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