Rubin Kazan v Barcelona preview

Guardiola: Focused

Related links

Teams

• Barcelona

Also see

• Sky Sports experts
• Transfer Centre
• Fantasy Football
• Sky Sports Twitter

Barcelona have the chance to exact revenge for their defeat to Rubin Kazan when they travel to Russia on Wednesday.

European champions Barca suffered a surprise 2-1 loss at Camp Nou two weeks ago, a result that has thrown Group F wide open.

Only a single point separates all four teams and Barca have a lot of work still to do with a home game against Inter Milan up next followed by another tricky away clash with Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine.

It would be a major shock if Pep Guardiola's men failed to progress and they will not be panicking just yet, but the importance of the Kazan encounter cannot be underestimated.

Barca could only warm up for their long journey east with a 1-1 draw against Osasuna in the Primera Liga on Saturday but Guardiola insists his players are in good shape.

"We drew our last fixture in the Spanish league and that may help us to focus more for this match in Kazan," he said.

"All 19 players who have travelled to Russia are fully fit and ready to play."

Two players that have not made the trip are Gabriel Milito and Thierry Henry, who are out with knee and thigh injuries respectively.

Kazan news

While Guardiola has insisted that Barca will be able to cope with the sub-zero temperatures expected in Kazan, the home team will certainly be more used to the extreme conditions.

Kazan are one of three sides in the group to have collected four points from their opening four games and manager Kurban Berdyev is in confident mood ahead of the meeting with Barca.

"I don't think that the team has changed psychologically since the win at Barcelona," he said.

"The players are mentally strong; they know their quality and the strength of our opponents very well.

"Our aim is to show what we can do and a little bit more besides. We are ready for a battle."

Rafal Murawski is missing with a shoulder problem but Berdyev has no other injury worries.