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Barcelona played their first game since the sacking of Ronald Koeman on Saturday against Alaves. It was Sergi Barjuan's first game in charge as interim manager and the match ended as a draw. The Catalans are actively searching for a new permanent manager.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 31 October 2021.
Gerard Pique ruled out of Dynamo Kiev clash with calf injury
Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique has been ruled out of the midweek UEFA Champions League clash against Dynamo Kiev with a calf injury. The Catalans issued a statement on their website regarding the same today.
"Tests this morning confirmed first-team player Gerard Pique has a right calf strain and will be out for the forseeable future."
However, the club haven't provided a return date for the veteran defender. Barcelona's only win in the Champions League so far this term has come against Kiev. They lost their first two games of the competition against Bayern Munich and Benfica respectively.
Sergio Aguero diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia
There was panic and concern in equal measure as Sergio Aguero was forced off the field during the game against Alaves on Saturday. The Argentina international seemed to be having problems with his breathing and was immediately rushed to a hospital.
According to Sport, the results of the tests have arrived and Aguero has been diagnosed with a cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat. The 33-year-old has reportedly encountered this problem during his younger days.
He is presently still in the hospital and will undergo several further tests in order to understand the seriousness of the condition.
Barcelona VP confirms Xavi is one of the options they are looking at
Barcelona are actively looking to find a new permanent manager. Club legend Xavi is widely tipped to be the favourite to take over but the situation is complicated since he is tied to Qatari club Al Sadd for two more years.
The Qatari outfit even released a statement (via MARCA) on Saturday in response to all the speculation.
"In response to what's circulating recently, the Al Sadd management reaffirms that Xavi has a two-year contract with the club and is fully focused on the team's upcoming matches, to maintain our lead at the top of the league and to defend the title."
However, Barcelona vice president Rafael Yuste has issued an update (via Barca Blaugranes) on their managerial search. His statement is in sync with Joan Laporta's claim that Xavi is only one of the options they are looking at.
“The technical secretariat has been working for a few days to find the best solution. There are several options and Xavi is one of them. Putting timings on us would only add more pressure and could complicate the negotiations.”
