At the gates of receiving Chelsea at the Camp Nou, FC Barcelona continues to maintain the suspense about the possible return of Alexia Putellas. Jonatan Giráldez has recognized that the captain “has options to enter the call” but has asked for patience and has summoned to wait and see the player’s feelings after this morning’s session. “Alexia has options to enter the call. Training this morning is still missing. We have to wait to see the sensations and we will decide. Patience”, asked the Blaugrana coach.
The man from Vigo assured that they will not rush: “While I am a coach I will not take any risks, especially with a player who has been injured for so long and in a game of this magnitude. Depending on what happens, we will decide what is best for her and for the team. We must not forget that it is a Champions League semifinal, â€he insisted.
The team will play a lot tomorrow at the Camp Nou, and Aitana Bonmatà assures that the dressing room is isolated from all media noise around Alexia Putellas: “This focus is on you. In the locker room the focus is on tomorrow’s game. We look forward to Alexia’s return, but the important thing is to win tomorrow and be able to be in the fourth final for the clubâ€.
Barça must assert the 0-1 in the first leg, thanks to a great goal from Caroline Graham Hansen. A short result that forces the blaugrana not to trust: “Nothing has been done. We will go out to win as if the result of the first leg did not help us at allâ€, promises BonmatÃ. “We have to forget the first leg,†says Giráldez, who explains that this has been the message he has conveyed to the team this week: “We have to give our best version. Saturday’s game is over. If we think that the result of the first leg helps us to qualify, we would be wrong. If we don’t go out with the right mentality, the result of the first leg will not be enough, â€he warns.
To seek its third consecutive final, the team will have the support of its fans. More than 65,000 tickets have been sold and the club expects to exceed 70,000 on a day that could be historic with the return of Alexia Putellas to the pitch. The players, just as they did last year against Real Madrid and Wolfsburg in the two world attendance records, will arrive at the Camp Nou by bus to receive the warmth of the Blaugrana fans. “Camp Nou is a fortress to this day. We have won all the games, just like at Johanâ€, recalls Aitana BonmatÃ, who assures that having all those people cheering gives them “a plus†of motivation. “We have a very good opportunity to get into another final and we will have the support of the fans, but we will have to compete and deserve to win the game to get through. Nothing has been doneâ€, warns Giráldez.
The negative note, the injury of Lucy Bronze that the club has confirmed this Wednesday. The full-back had to retire from the game at Stamford Bridge with problems and, despite Giráldez playing down the matter after the game, the injury worsened and he had to undergo an arthroscopy: “The sensations were good when we changed it and then The pain returned during the trip and we decided that a small intervention was best. He’ll be gone for a few weeks.” An important loss, especially in a match of this dimension, against an English rival that he knows very well and a team that can complicate things in defense for the blaugrana: “She is an important player and with a lot of experience in this type of match”, has recognized Giráldez, who has also ensured that Marta Torrejón has plenty of resources to take her place.
