Barcelona hit by Eto'o injury blow

BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o faces a race against time to prove his fitness ahead of next week's Champions League last-16 first leg match against Celtic in Scotland.

The Cameroonian international returned from African Nations Cup duty with a thigh injury and has been ruled out of the weekend's trip to Real Zaragoza following medical tests.

He will now undergo intensive treatment with Primera Liga Barca desperate for Eto'o to make the trip to Glasgow for next Wednesday's last-16 match.

The 27-year-old is believed to have suffered his injury during Cameroon's 1-0 loss to Egypt in the final of the African Nations Cup on Sunday, although he did manage to play the full 90 minutes of that match.

"There is no muscular injury and the player will have three days of specialist treatment to be ready for the Champions League game against Celtic," a Barcelona medical statement read.

"As such, he will be out for this Saturday's Primera Liga encounter."

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says the club is getting closer to signing Javier Mascherano on a permanent contract, despite reports linking the midfielder with a move to Barcelona.

The Argentine international is registered as a Reds player on a long-term loan from Media Sports Investments, which owns his rights.

"We are closer than we were one week ago but I don't know how close," Benitez said Thursday.

Mascherano said last week he had "a lot of confidence" that he would complete a permanent transfer shortly.

However, Spanish newspaper Marca reported that MSI have now offered the player to Barcelona.

Mascherano joined Liverpool in February 2007 on a loan deal from West Ham after a messy contract dispute that involved a Premier League investigation and FIFA ruling.

Brazilian soccer star Romario was acquitted of doping when a sports tribunal overturned his verdict, allowing him to return to competition.

The Superior Tribunal of Sports Justice accepted Romario's contention that he did not take a performance-enhancing drug for Vasco da Gama's league game against Palmeiras on Oct. 28, team spokesman Roberto Garofalo said Thursday.

The 42-year-old striker tested positive for the banned substance Finasteride and was suspended for 120 days in December. Romario said he had used the hair-loss medicine Propecia, which contains Finasteride.

"He said he didn't know about the substance and that it didn't have the effect of doping," Garofalo said. "It doesn't make you faster. It doesn't improve your performance. It's neutral."

Romario, a World Cup champion and FIFA Player of the Year in 1994, had said he could retire next month if the four-month suspension was not lifted.

He recently quit as Vasco's coach, contending club officials had interfered in his decisions about the team's lineup.

Romario last year scored his 1,000th goal by his count -- a mark reached only by Pele. His contract with Vasco expires at the end of March, and it's not clear whether he will continue playing. E-mail to a friend