体坛英语新闻：Guardiola accepts Messi's injury "something happens in football"

MADRID, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola accepted that the ankle injury suffered by Leo Messi is something that can happen in a soccer game.

Messi will be out of action for two weeks following a late and high challenge from Atletico Madrid defender Tomas Ujfalusi in the Vicente Calderon Stadium on Sunday night.

The incident has had a big media impact in Spain, raising the question as to whether or not players such as Messi or Real Madrid 's Cristiano Ronaldo should receive extra protection from referees.

Speaking to the press ahead of Wednesday's game at home to Sporting Gijon, Guardiola accepted that Ujfalusi has not intended to injure his player.

"I understand that he went in hard as other players do, but with no bad intention. I have no doubt his intentions were not bad, " he said.

Nevertheless the Barcelona coach was annoyed at some attitudes that he has seen regarding ways of stopping his star players.

"I am not going to complain about Ujfalusi, but I will complain about other occasions when it seems as if anything goes, because it doesn't. I never say we have to stop someone by 'civil or criminal means'. I think about what I say," commented Guardiola, who admitted he had been worried at the moment Messi was injured.

"We feared the worst, I was worried, but when we carried out the tests, we could see there was no break," he said.

Guardiola will have to change his team for Wednesday's game and Andres Iniesta could push forward into attack, but the Barca coach admitted Messi would be missed.

"He is very special and almost impossible to replace. He can give us things nobody else can and that is why he is the best player in the world. However, I have no doubt that we will carry on as before," he said.

Finally Guardiola had words of praise for Sporting Gijon.

"There have had the same coach (Manolo Preciado) for a long time and that is an advantage. They are a team with a great history in the Primera that likes to get the ball into the area. They are physical and strong," he warned.