Puyol: Barcelona defensive icon Carles Puyol is set to miss today’s Champions League Last 16 second leg clash with German outfit Bayer Leverkusen because of a groin injury according to sports dailies Marca and AS. Puyol joins team-mates French defender Eric Abidal (hip), Chilean wing Alexis Sanchez and long-term injury victims David Villa and Dutch international Ibrahim Afellay on the sidelines.

Taarabt: Moroccan international winger Adel Taarabt was named Arab footballer of the year after a vote by leading Arabic journalists according to Algerian sports daily Le Buteur. The 22-year-old, who presently plays for QPR, beat Algerian star Ryad Boudebouz, who plays for Ligue 1 side Sochaux, in the vote.

O’Leary: David O’Leary has asked FIFA to intervene in a contract dispute with his former club Al Ahli. O’Leary was sacked as manager by the UAE outfit in April but has yet to receive the compensation he believes he is due for the two remaining years of his three-year deal.

Lecce: Three Lecce players were suspended one game on Monday. The Serie A strugglers will be without Gennaro Delvecchio, David di Michele and Nenad Tomovic for the weekend’s game against Milan. Lecce coach Serse Cosmi has also picked up a suspension which means he can’t sit on the sidelines at San Siro.

Friendlies: Portugal, the 2004 runners-up, will face Macedonia and Turkey in Euro 2012 warm-ups. Cristiano Ronaldo and co will host Macedonia on May 26, probably in the central city of Leiria, then Turkey on June 2 at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.

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