“Barcelona Are Tired” – Suarez Laments

Luis Suarez has admitted Barcelona are suffering from fatigue ahead of their Champions League quarter-final, second-leg showdown with Paris Saint-Germain.

The Blaugrana defeated the French titleholders 3-1 at the Parc des Princes last week before maintaining their two-point advantage at the top of La Liga with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Valencia at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Barca laboured through their weekend assignment and Suarez, who was replaced midway through the second half of the game in Catalunya, freely admits that the players are tired as they chase silverware on three fronts.

“I am not injured at all but this is a stage when you have to be careful with the fitness level,” the striker told reporters on Monday.

“The other day [against Valencia] the coach decided to substitute me and it’s fine because there are fresher players in the squad.

“We can see that the team is a bit tired after the match in Paris, after landing in Barcelona so late, but that’s normal.

“At this stage of the season, we have to deal with tiredness. But I prefer to be in the situation of playing lots of games rather than playing just a few.

“I always wanted to play this competition with Barcelona. I hope we carry on this way so we are in position to win the competition, which is what I always wanted.”

Suarez admits Barca must also guard against the individual brilliance of PSG forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is available for selection again after missing the first leg through suspension.

“Ibrahimovic is a great player and everyone knows what he has achieved,” the Uruguay international added. “He has always been among the best five players in the world.

“He is a decisive player for PSG and we will have to watch him carefully.

“We know they have quality players and can turn the situation around. We have to be just as intense as we were in Paris.”

Suarez is set to start up front alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, two players he revealed made his adjustment to life in Barcelona go very smoothly.

“For me, it’s brilliant to play alongside Messi,” he added. “Both Leo and Neymar told me to play the same way as I did at Liverpool.

“They are always joking around and welcomed me into the team, which makes me very happy.”