12 FC Barcelona players set to feature in international friendlies

Spain will have eight Barça players, including Montoya, for the match against Panama Messi and Mascherano will feature for Argentina against Saudi Arabia, while Alexis will play for Chile against Serbia and Alves for Brazil against Colombia
11:00PM Tuesday 13 Nov (GMT)
First Team

This Tuesday and Wednesday, a dozen FC Barcelona players will feature in international friendlies for this respective national teams. This Wednesday at 22.30 - Catalonia time - the Rommel Fernández Stadium, in Panama, will host the showdown between Panama and Spain. Vincete del Bosque has named eight FC Barcelona players to the national side: Valdés, Alba, Busquets, Iniesta, Cesc, Pedro, Villa and Montoya. Montoya, who made his debut for Spain in August 2011, has only played 17 minutes with FC Barcelona’s first team this season.

Important absences

Del Bosque decided to rest Xavi Hernández and instead called up the Betis midfielder, Beñat, and Athletic Club’s Markel Susaeta. Piqué, Puyol and Thiago, the latter two are still recovering from injury, will also miss the match.

Four Blaugrana stars join up with their national sides

Messi and Mascherano are in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they will play for Argentina against the Middle Eastern country at 18.00. Messi, who broke Pelé’s record of goals scored in a calendar year this weekend, is only 10 goals away from smashing Gerd Müller’s all-time mark (85). Dani Alves will feature for his country when Brazil take on Colombia in New Jersey. The match between the two South American sides is expected to be top notch as both teams will be able to field their best players (Adriano will miss the match due to injury). Finally, Claudio Borghi, Chile’s national team manager, named Alexis Sánchez to the team ahead of Chile’s match against Serbia in Sweden (Wednesday, 20.00).

More news here