BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Xavi confirmed goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will miss the Spanish champions鈥� La Liga clash with Rayo Vallecano on Saturday due to back pain.
鈥淭omorrow Marc can鈥檛 make it and we have full confidence in Inaki Pena, who is 100 percent ready,鈥� Xavi told a news conference Friday.
Pena, 24, is a product of the club鈥檚 youth academy and has played for the Barcelona first team five times.
Barcelona have been beaten in their last two visits to face Rayo at Vallecas and trail surprise La Liga leaders Girona by four points.
Frenkie de Jong is available after injury but Barca will also be without tireless midfielder Gavi for the rest of the season after he suffered a cruciate ligament injury while playing for Spain last week.
In Spanish media some have looked to blame national team coach Luis de la Fuente but Xavi said the injury was not his fault.
鈥淚 have no problem with De la Fuente, it鈥檚 a problem with the calendar and too many games,鈥� explained Xavi.
鈥淲ith the age (Gavi) is, he鈥檚 played a lot of games and the calendar is full of matches, and that鈥檚 the reason for the injury, along with bad luck.鈥�
He continued: 鈥淗e鈥檚 an irreplacable player for the passion, desire and courage that he puts out there.鈥�
Xavi has suggested changes to football鈥檚 calendar in the past to stop players leaving for international duty throughout the season, and brought it up again.
鈥淎 small solution is to play eight or nine months with the club and then have a period for European qualifiers and the Euros,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy that each month there鈥檚 so much travel 鈥� nine months with the club and two with the national team.鈥�