Pirate Galaxy » may ultimately require some city f

MADRID -- Barcelonas chances of winning the Spanish league this season could be determined by whether Andres Iniesta is fit to play in Saturdays clasico against Real Madrid.Having Iniesta available this weekend at Camp Nou could make the difference between clinching a third straight title or seeing Madrid snap a four-year winless drought.Barcelona has been struggling without the midfielder, and another setback could leave the team nine points behind and in a difficult position to fight for the title.Iniesta has been sidelined since injuring a right-knee ligament on Oct. 22. Doctors said he would be out 6-8 weeks, but the recovery process has been going well and Barcelona coach Luis Enrique expects the midfielder to play.We are waiting for Iniesta to be cleared, Luis Enrique said earlier this week. It should be more or less a formality, he has been practicing with us and is in good condition. We are waiting to confirm, but he should be available.Had it been any other match, the midfielder would likely be rested to avoid aggravating the injury, but Luis Enrique may not be in position to afford himself that luxury this time.All of Barcelonas four losses this season came without Iniesta in the starting lineup -- to Alaves, Celta Vigo, Espanyol and Manchester City. The 32-year-old Iniesta also wasnt with the team in recent league draws against Malaga at home and at Real Sociedad, and couldnt play in the 1-1 draw against third-division club Hercules on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey.Luis Enrique has tried several different alternatives to replace Iniesta, but none fully filled the void left by the Spain midfielder.Among the players used in Iniestas position are Denis Suarez, Rafinha, Andre Gomes, Ivan Rakitic and Arda Turan. Some did well protecting the defense, some succeeded creating scoring opportunities, but none showed the all-around talent that Iniesta brings to the team.Barcelonas recent inability to cope with Iniestas absence could actually work in favor of the midfielder, who has yet to extend his contract with the club and is soon expected to start negotiations.The consecutive draws ahead of the clasico left Barcelona players feeling discouraged and struggling to explain the teams poor performances, but Luis Enrique didnt expect the setbacks to play a role on Saturday.It wont affect us at all, he said. We are now focused on one of the most important matches of this tournament and we have the motivation of facing our main rival.Contrary to Barcelona, Madrid has been thriving recently, winning five games in a row and enjoying a 32-game unbeaten streak. The last time it played at Camp Nou, Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 despite playing the final minutes with 10 men.Its a good match against a great opponent who will certainly make it difficult for us and thats all there is to it, Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said. We have to be prepared.---Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoniAdidas Superstar Foundation White Green Gold Uk . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. Yeezy Boost 750 Black For Sale Online . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. http://www.cheapadishoesuk.com/yeezy-shoes-uk-sale/adidas-yeezy-powerphase.html . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. Adidas Stan Smith Clearance . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006. Mens Adidas Pure Boost 2.0 Primeknit Metallic Gold Uk . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers.PHILADELPHIA -- The NFL is expected to pick up the majority of the cost to stage the 2017 draft in Philadelphia, with the citys iconic Rocky steps serving as its backdrop.City officials say they dont expect the NFLs 82nd event to come at taxpayer expense, but instead expect to fundraise about $5 million of the $25 million budget with the league paying for the events staging and infrastructure.Senior vice president Peter OReilly said on Thursday the events location will represent a return to the birthplace of the draft. The first NFL draft was held in Philadelphia in 1936, when the Eagles selected versatile halfback Jay Berwanger first overall.This is clearly a very passionate football town, its also a city steeped in NFL history, Reilly said.The draft was held in New York for decades before being moved in 2015 to Chicago, where it was also held this year. It was last held in Philly in 1960.Hosting the draft is just the latest in a string of high profile events for Philadelphia. Pope Francis celebrated Mass in a similar location near the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Benjamin Franklin Parkway during a visit to the city last fall. The city also hosted the four-day Democratic National Convention in July.Mayor Jim Kenney said the city knows how to hold major events, and while hosting the draft may ultimately require some city funds, it will be worth the return on investment.Its a very signifiicant event from individual expenditures.ddddddddddddPeople who come are going to be spending money, Kenney said.City officials visited Chicago to see how the event was previously hosted, and took NFL leadership on tours of Philadelphia and its venues.Philadelphia beat out several other locations vying to host the event, which will be held April 27-29. The first three rounds are held in prime time. The hometown Eagles wont have a pick, however, in the first round.Draft organizers said Philadelphia may draw a bigger crowd than Chicago because nine NFL team markets sit within driving distance to the city. Philadelphia is currently one of 13 teams not to have won a Super Bowl.Julie Coker-Graham, Philadelphia convention and visitors bureau president, said more than 200,000 fans are expected to flood the city during the three-day event. Half of those fans are expected to come from out of town.ESPN analyst and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski will help lead the host committee and said he and others were relentless in (their) approach to find a way to get the draft back to Philadelphia, 80 years after its conception.Theres incredible passion for football in this community, he said.---AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '