Barca can do without Messi says Zubizaretta

Barcelona director Andoni Zubizarreta is confident that the Catalans have what it takes to cope with the absence of star player Lionel Messi.

The Argentina international picked up a hamstring injury in Barca's 2-0 La Liga win over Almeria at the weekend and will consequently be out of action for two to three weeks.

But Zubizarreta has backed Gerardo Martino's squad to step up in the 26-year-old's absence, telling reporters: "Playing without the best player in the world isn’t what you want, but these things happen. We have a great squad and we will be using that."

The former Spain goalkeeper then went on to discuss Tuesday's Champions League encounter against Celtic and insisted that the Blaugrana are prepared for the Parkhead atmosphere following their shock 2-1 defeat last season.

"We know what to expect at Celtic Park. We know what the atmosphere will be like. Celtic are a team that are very clear about how they play," added the Catalans' sporting director.


/Goal.Com/