Eight Barça players in Spanish squad

There is another international break after Sunday’s Clásico and a large part of the Barça squad will be off to join up with their national teams. Vicente del Bosque announced his squad for Spain’s World Cup qualifiers against Belarus (12th October in Minsk) and France (16th October in Madrid) and Valdés, Jordi Alba, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Iniesta, Cesc, Pedro and Villa have all been called up. Spanish regulars Gerard Piqué, who is still carrying an injury, and Carles Puyol – who is out for up to eight weeks following his injury in Lisbon on Tuesday – are both omitted from the squad.

The Spanish Under 21 squad was also announced today and first team squad members Montoya and Bartra, as well as B team youngsters Planas, Tello, Deulofeu and Sergi Roberto will be part of the squad to face Denmark on October 11th and 16th as part of the qualification for the European Championships.

International break denudes squad

As well as the ten Spanish players, Messi and Mascherano are off to join the Argentinean squad, Alves and Adriano will be representing Brazil, Alexis Chile and Song Cameroon, with Tito’s squad reduced by a total of 16 players during the international break.