Xavi and evil Prosinecki

Xavi, like Achilles tendons found in the greatest obstacle to his football maturity. Barca to rest since the visit of Mallorca at Camp Nou for some discomfort in the soleus muscle, an injury that could leave him out of the World South Africa, the same that ended Real Madrid's Robben out or ended by convincing Prosinecki of it was the time of withdrawal.

It is the sixth time in which there are references to the Barcelona midfielder has problems in that area of twin. Pep Guardiola explained on Monday after the club's medical services the obvious in his hand before the last league encounter. "Saturday had little trouble in soleus by cumulative fatigue that she could play," said the technician in the previous Champions League match against Viktoria Plzen.

This time it is a one-centimeter elongation requires rest. The background to invite caution. The first clues are found in February 2010, when he spent nine days off after a game with Atletico Madrid. In February of that year rested half a month, chance and again felt discomfort in late March.

Barcelona was in full battle for the league and the Champions. The player decided to force and agreed to undergo a regimen of injections of growth factors , up to twelve in each leg. He could go to South Africa.

In February 2011 he reproduced the pain. Another ten days off. In August, Xavi with this same condition excused absence in a call for the Spanish team. In late October, their worst nightmares have returned.

The lesions in the soleus are more characteristic of basketball players and volleyball, sports that require a greater effort in the calf by repeated jumps. However, in the football world there are examples such as Robben and Prosinecki.

The long list of injuries to Robben Real Madrid ends with two breaks of soleus. The first, in November 2008. The latest, in April 2009. The club put on sale and signed by Bayern Munich just before the end of the transfer market.

The case of Prosinecki was particularly striking. The doctors changed much of their eating habits, he was subjected to endless tests and advised him to walk otherwise. The final explanation was that playing in a 'big' caused him stress.