Injury-hit Leeds face torrid time at O'Leary's favourite place

One hundred and eighteen thousand seats in the biggest football ground in Europe; over 100,000 members, including the Pope, who fill it regularly; a playing cast that at various times included Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Romario, Ronaldo and today Rivaldo; a political dimension that justifies the motto: "More than just a club"; and, naturally in this age, its own television station, Canal Barca. Welcome to the Nou Camp stadium, home of Futbol Club Barcelona. What a place for a naive young manager to wander into.

David O'Leary did just that early last night, though the emotion he felt was not total fear, it was more like love and longing. Because O'Leary is in thrall to all things Barcelona and has been ever since he came to Catalonia as a young man with Arsenal. In the build-up to Leeds United's debut in the group stage of the Champions League here tonight, O'Leary has been paying homage all over again.

"Barcelona is my favourite city and Barcelona are my favourite club," he said. "I went there as a young player, played against Johan Cruyff. I was there when Manchester United won the European Cup. The Nou Camp is where the final should be played every year." Strong stuff, and consequently: "I'm not getting the violin out but this place was special for me. It's a dream fulfilled to be going there as a manager." It feels safe to say that O'Leary likes Barcelona.

But that was yesterday. Tonight O'Leary is aware that he could be experiencing altogether different emotions. Kneeling voluntarily is one thing, but being made to kneel is another, and if O'Leary was coming here with the best Leeds team he could muster, and they were in good form, it would still be an imposing test for the Yorkshire club, a measurement of just how far they have travelled in the 23 months since O'Leary succeeded George Graham.

But not only did Leeds arrive in handclammy sunshine, the heat is on after an uninspired home defeat by Manchester City last Tuesday was followed by a prosaic performance at Coventry City on Saturday. Moreover, Harry Kewell, Eirik Bakke, Jonathan Woodgate, Mark Viduka and David Batty are not part of the Leeds squad that landed yesterday morning.

That was the known situation. Then came the news that Jason Wilcox was the latest to visit the treatment table having broken his left ankle in training on Monday. Wilcox, who had two operations on knee injuries during the summer, now faces another two month lay-off.

"It's going to be tough, it would have been tough even with the absent players," said O'Leary, understandably longing for his true First XI. "I'm not trying to play things down, I'm trying to be factual because I know that when you come to big places like this you need big players. We need all the players there to stand up and be counted."

Given the injury situation and Leeds' existing pool of talent, which is shallow rather than deep, there was a literal aspect to that final remark. Wilcox fell down during unchallenged shooting practice, something O'Leary will not want to witness Barcelona indulging in. But he is worried that that could happen. "I think you have to be honest and fear that we could get a drubbing."

O'Leary said that he had given Wilcox 15 minutes at Highfield Road on Saturday because he had planned to play the former Blackburn wing-back this evening. "It really limits what I can do. When I say I'm without Kewell, Woodgate and Bakke, that's like Manchester United losing Cole, Keane and Stam, and they've got a big squad - bigger than ours."

Manchester United, of course, have happy memories of the Nou Camp, though Leeds do too. In their only previous visit 25 years ago Leeds drew 1-1 with a Cruyffinspired Barcelona in the second leg of their European Cup semi-final, having won 2-1 at Elland Road in the first. Peter Lorimor scored the Leeds goal that night.

A similar result tonight would be heralded across Europe, given the circumstances and while there is a growing assumption that Barcelona will trot to victory, the only evidence we have to assess their form is their first game of the season on Saturday at home to Malaga. Barcelona won 2-1 with two Rivaldo strikes but it is not a scoreline that terrorises.

Having ejected Louis van Gaal after last season's comprehensive elimination from this competition by Valencia, Barcelona then lost their most influential player Luis Figo, controversially to Real Madrid. Lorenzo Serra Ferrer, formerly manager of Real Betis, has replaced van Gaal after three years on the backroom staff and with the £37 million received for Figo, the bulk went to Highbury for Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit.

Perversely, in the eyes of Arsenal fans, Barcelona rated Overmars as worth four times Petit but with Ivan de la Pena back home and the exciting 21-year-old Gerard signed from Valencia, Petit is viewed as a squad player in Spain. "Manu" is likely to be on the bench, from where he can see if Patrick Kluivert can maintain his impressive Euro 2000 form.

If so, Leeds could be in for a torrid night and by this time tomorrow O'Leary may be reviewing his opinion of Barcelona, club and city. This is no place for naivety.