Injuries. Capdevila is questionable, as he has a thigh muscle issue. He was kept out of practice yesterday, but is in the call-up. If he cannot go, Bruno has said he is happy to return to the leftback role he played midweek.
Also, based on the final practice of the week, it looks very possible that Pires might sit out, at least for the start, to enable him to fully rest up. He got Wednesday's match off, and at age 35, it isn't a bad thing to give him an extended break every once in a while. If he does sit for the start, expect Mati to be in his place.
As for other personnel moves to expect for this Sunday: Nihat is still in the process of recovery, and Altidore and Fuentes are left out for tactical reasons.
Transfer rumors: They have begun in earnest. I continue to think that it is time to bring someone on to replace Cani (I like him, but...), and the club must bring in a decent center back, and probably someone to replace Edmilson. We are looking tremendous in the league and the Champions League, but if we do not have sufficient depth, we will fall off in the second half of the season. This is not a season to add depth over the summer.
Many of these rumors are admittedly from tribalfootball.com, which means they are of course false and ludicrous. But, since they are out there, may as well put them up, eh?
The first link is an 18-year-old Spaniard named Jamie Romero, who currently plays with Albacete Balompié SAD in Spain. He plays an attacking midfield role.
The second rumor is very interesting: Mark van Bommel. A central, playmaking midfielder, he could slide into a backup role for Senna (although I am sure he would not be looking to back anyone up). This particular rumor seems egregiously ridiculous.
Finally, something that is not exactly a transfer rumor, but a definite personnel issue: the extension of Robert Pires. This actually seems highly likely. He has been superb as of late, and although he might need a bit of extra rest on occasion, he is playing years younger than his age. And besides, as he recently said to SkySports, "Age is a fake problem." He talked about Villarreal "probably being my last challenge" and spoke of retirement at the club - two things that imply he is expecting to stick around. Surely, with the quality of his play as of late, Villarreal will be happy to oblige.