Barcelona-Inter: FC Barcelona Injury Ravaged Entering Clash at Camp Nou

Barcelona and Inter enter Tuesday’s clash at the Camp Nou at different ends of the spectrum in confidence. Although Barca will have the assurance of playing at home, they will have to shrug off injuries to some big players and a string of less-than-stellar results.

During last night’s draw with Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona’s talisman, Lionel Messi, limped off with a thigh injury. The favorite to win the FIFA World Player of the Year has a lengthy injury history, and his latest setback could not have come at a worse time.

Not only will the top scorer from last season’s Champions League miss Barcelona’s clash against Inter, but his status is also in doubt for the league game against Real Madrid on Sunday.

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will struggle to be healthy by Tuesday as well, while Yaya Toure, Eric Abidal, and Rafael Marquez have all contracted swine flu and could also miss the match.

Coach Pep Guardiola knows his team must fight on: "What can we do? Just stop? The fans have to understand that we will play with the players that are fit."

His words are hardly inspiring to the fans who could see their beloved Blaugrana crash out of the Champions League should they lose to Inter and newly-crowned Russian champions Rubin Kazan top Dynamo Kiev.

After Barcelona and Inter met in Milan for the Champions League’s season-opening match, the Catalans labored to a one-goal win at home against Dynamo Kiev, lost at home to Rubin, and sputtered to a scoreless draw in Kazan.

Although Inter struggled as well—drawing against Rubin and Kiev—they sit atop the group after a late flurry of goals earned them a win in Kiev and due to the recent acquisition of both Diego Milito and Wesley Sneijder.

Inter will also have its full complement of stars to call upon and are riding high after beating Bologna 3-1 away from home on Saturday.

Diego Milito, arguably the best signing for any big club in Europe this season, scored in Inter’s opener with a brilliant turn and assisted Esteban Cambiasso in the second half. Enigmatic Italy under-21 international Mario Balotelli scored Inter’s other goal just before the interval.

Despite facing a depleted Barcelona side, Inter manager Jose Mourinho—a former Barcelona employee under Bobby Robson turned nemesis upon becoming Chelsea manager—will likely try to clog the midfield with the likes of Esteban Cambiasso, former Barcelona man Thiago Motta, and captain Javier Zanetti.

The midfield congestion will make life difficult for Xavi and Andres Inesta, who will both have to play better than usual without some big guns up front.

However, Mourinho is not convinced Ibrahimovic will sit out, stating that he is “99.9 percent sure he will be on the field.” Regardless of Ibra’s availability, Samuel Eto’o is certain to start at his old stomping ground.

The Cameroon striker will be eager to score in front of the cules, or Barcelona fans. Eto’o had many a big Champions League nights while playing for Barcelona, netting goals in the 2006 and 2009 Champions League Finals.

While Eto’o has yet to hit his top form for Inter, he is surging after scoring in a World Cup qualifying match against Morocco.

If Ibrahimovic is fit enough to take part, he will not only be facing the scrutiny of comparisons to Eto’o, but the pressure to do it without Messi.

Thierry Henry, who has fallen out of favor as of late, could start in place of the Argentine after being left on the bench against Bilbao.

Henry will be chomping at the bit to make his first start since his now-infamous handball against the Republic of Ireland last week.

Although Henry has only scored once this season, it is puzzling that he has played so sparingly since returning from injury. Tuesday would be an ideal game for the Frenchman to put his controversial week behind him with a goal.

If not, Pedro or Bojan will be given the nod in front of a tough Inter backline that features Maicon, Walter Samuel, Lucio, and Christian Chivu. In goal, Julio Cesar is widely considered one of the best keepers in the world.

If Barcelona falls and drops out of the competition, injuries will not be an excuse. The inability to get a goal in Kazan or capitalize on chances at the Camp Nou will have been their undoing.