Mata extends Valencia contract
Reuters - Friday 14 January 2011, 12:05
MADRID - Brief news from La Liga ahead of
this weekend's matches:
Valencia have agreed an improved contract for Spain winger
Juan Mata which will tie him to the club until 2014, they said
in a statement after a board meeting.
The 22-year-old can celebrate in front of his own fans when
Deportivo La Coruna visit the Mestalla on Sunday. The club
will be looking to improve on fourth place in La Liga.
Valencia are without suspended top scorer Aritz Aduriz.
After a week where he collected his second consecutive
World Player of the Year and scored a hat-trick in the King's
Cup, Barcelona's Lionel Messi called for coach Pep Guardiola to commit
himself to the club beyond the end of the season.
"He can renew his contract when he likes, but I hope he does
and that he stays," Messi told reporters. "It's difficult to
imagine a Barca without Guardiola."
The leaders host Malaga on Sunday.
Barca's Argentine defender Gabriel Milito is close to
agreeing a move to Malaga, who have signed five new players so
far in the January transfer window, local media have reported.
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema will be keen to impress
in order to hang on to his place away to Almeria on Sunday, after the club said they were looking to sign a striker
on loan until the end of the season.
Second-from-bottom Almeria are the only side left in La Liga
yet to win a home game this season.
Third-placed Villarreal, who are unbeaten at the Madrigal,
are battling a growing list of injuries ahead of Saturday's
visit of Osasuna.
Spain winger Santi Cazorla is out for two weeks with a
muscle strain, joining long-term injury victims Marcos Senna,
Nilmar and Angel Lopez. Spain defender Carlos Marchena is set to
return after a month and a half on the sidelines.
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea will have tests on
a hand injury picked up in his side's 3-1 King's Cup
quarter-final first leg defeat at Real Madrid on Thursday.
They host Real Mallorca on Monday.
Basement side Real Zaragoza, who are at home to Levante on
Saturday, are struggling to pay their players and after
media speculation that the squad were considering strike action
captain Gabi moved to deny the claims.
"It is a difficult economic situation for the whole of
Spanish football, and it is here too," he said. "We are speaking
to the president and we think this week or next week there will
be a solution, and there won't be any problems."