Piqué and Afellay, good news and bad

Guardiola said it was great news that Gerard Piqué was declared fit on Friday. “He is a top class footballer and essential for us because of his competitive spirit. But we have managed to get by without him, as we did last season when we had to make do without Puyol. The good thing is I have more players to choose from and can rotate the bench”.

But on a negative note, Afellay is going to be out for several months through injury. “It is some drama because he’s a sensitive lad” said Guardiola. “He was in shock at first because it’s his first serious injury. He’s feeling better now and we’ll have to make sure we are there to support him through this. I’m sure he’ll be back to help us later in the season”.