Barcelona loses key defenders for Arsenal tie

BARCELONA, Spain,- Barcelona has defensive worries ahead of Tuesday's showdown with Arsenal which midfielder Seydou Keita has described as crucial for its season.

Keita scored the only goal as Barcelona kept up the pressure at the top of La Liga with a 1-0 win over Zaragoza at the weekend and now it turns its attention to the Champions League where it must overturn a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates to progress to the quarterfinals.

"Against Arsenal we have to go out with a strong mentality as this is probably the most important game of the season," said Keita.