Barca suffer Kluivert injury blow
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) -- Barcelona will be without leading striker Patrick Kluivert for between two and three weeks because of a knee injury.
Kluivert took a blow to his left knee in a challenge from Gabriel Milito in the second half of Thursday's King's Cup quarterfinal second leg against Real Zaragoza and a scan on Friday revealed a build-up of fluid.
He will not require surgery but will miss league games against Albacete, Osasuna and Atletico Madrid and will be doubtful for the game away to Valencia on the weekend of February 21-22.
Barcelona went down to Zaragoza 2-1 on aggregate and the loss of Kluivert will be a further blow to embattled coach Frank Rijkaard, who will have Javier Saviola and youngster Sergio Garcia as his only two available strikers.
Media criticism
But Rijkaard said he was confident his job was still secure, despite stinging media criticism for his decision to substitute Ronaldinho.
"My future is safe," said the Dutchman. "I'm not thinking about the sack. I'm sad about the defeat but we're going to see how the team reacts."
Ronaldinho trudged slowly from the pitch, hands on hips, in apparent disbelief at Rijkaard's decision to withdraw him when the team still needed another goal.
Ronaldinho declined to comment after the game but Spanish sports newspapers laid into the coach.
"The substitution of Ronaldinho was a grave error," noted El Mundo Deportivo on their front page, while Marca wondered who would substitute the coach.
Barcelona's next game is a league match at home to Albacete on Sunday and Rijkaard urged his players to put Thursday's defeat behind them.
"In football you have to look forward," he said. "There isn't much time but we have to recover for an important game on Sunday."
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