Thierry Henry is in danger of playing a peripheral role in Pep Guardiola’s new look Barcelona with his continued failure to find his feet in Spain.

The France striker missed Sunday’s 6-1 rout of Sporting Gijon due to a throat infection, and that leaves Guardiola with a tough choice as to whether to keep a team that claimed a first league win of the season, or continue rotating his players for Wednesday’s visit of Real Betis.

The latter is the most likely course of events with a derby against Espanyol coming up at the weekend and a Champions League trip to face Shakhtar Donetsk next week.

But the question remains, should Henry feature in Guardiola’s best starting XI?

Against Sporting, who admittedly are bottom of the table, Barca were outstanding. Their pressuring of opponents when they didn’t have the ball was impressive, and when they did hold possession they were a delight to watch.

Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o are first choices up front, while Andres Iniesta appears to have filled the space on the left vacated by Ronaldinho with aplomb, creating and scoring goals. Iniesta’s versatility means he can play in a variety of positions, but he will always play.

With Xavi and a holding player like Yaya Toure or Seydou Keita almost guaranteed places, Henry is in effect competing with one of the youth team products Guardiola seems keen to blood in the side.

Winger Pedro Rodriguez and midfielder Sergio Busquets have won over the home fans, something Henry has yet to achieve after a year in Barcelona. Aleksandr Hleb’s injury means his former Arsenal team mate doesn’t enter the equation just yet.

Is Henry simply going to be first-change striker behind Eto’o, competing with another fan favourite Bojan Krkic? It’s looking that way.

Have the nine-times European champions Real Madrid lost their pulling power, or did they just play the market badly this time?

They put all their eggs (well, most of them) in one basket to land Cristiano Ronaldo but only succeeded in upsetting Robinho when he found out they might sell him to help finance the deal.

They then failed to convince Robinho to sign an improved contract and with time running out they couldn’t persuade David Villa to move from Valencia or Santi Cazorla to leave Villarreal.

Now they start the new Primera Liga season low on resources, at least in attack. Midfielder Rafael van der Vaart is their one major signing and if he stays fit for any length of time he could be a very useful one. But will it be enough win the trophy all Real fans want and expect – their tenth European Cup?

Raul, 31, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, 32, are getting long in the tooth and as back-up they only have Gonzalo Higuain, who shows potential but not a killer instinct, and Javier Saviola, who hardly played at all last year.

They have one proven winger Arjen Robben, who is injury prone, while Royston Drenthe has yet to set the flanks alight.

Bernd Schuster, who doesn’t look very happy at the best of times, said grumpily after Sunday’s opening day defeat to Deportivo Coruna, ”l looked to the left of me on the bench and didn’t see any strikers.”

The player who could have made a difference coming off the bench was Robinho, and he had been left out of the squad in a sign of things to come.

PHOTO: Real coach Bernd Schuster with new signing Rafael van der Vaart during their friendly away to Eintracht Frankfurt, August 12, 2008. REUTERS/Alex Grimm

A month ago Real Madrid looked invincible as they opened up a nine-point lead at the top of the Primera Liga on the back of an eight-match winning streak in the league.

But the wheels have come off the bandwagon recently, starting with an unexpected 2-0 defeat away to promoted Almeria on Feb.2.

Real looked to have recovered with a 7-0 demolition of Valladolid in front of their own fans but there followed a 2-1 defeat at Real Betis and then a 1-0 home reverse to Getafe on Sunday, which ended their 100 percent league record at the Bernabeu.

To make matters worse, Getafe’s goal was comical.

Winger Arjen Robben thought he had scored for Real midway through the second half. A large number of players ran to the corner to celebrate with him despite the fact that the linesman’s flag was up and the referee had not awarded a goal.

Seeing his chance, visiting defender David Belenguer took a quick free kick to launch a four-against-two counter-attack that ended with Nigeria striker Ikechukwu Uche beating Iker Casillas.

Taking into account Real’s exit from the King’s Cup in January, when they lost home and away to Real Mallorca, and their 2-1 defeat at AS Roma in the Champions League last week, that adds up to six defeats from their last 10 matches in all competitions.

A string of injuries in defence have not helped but it is upfront where they have lost their spark. Compared to earlier games they now create more chances, but are failing to put them away.

“We are only having problems with our results, not with our play or fitness,” Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro said on Monday. “It is difficult to repeat what we did in the first half of the season (when they only dropped eight points). Our lead is now only two points and maybe the pressure will serve us well.”

Second-placed Barcelona have kept plugging away during this time are now within touching distance of the champions. Their last two performances in particular, when they twice came from behind to beat Celtic 3-2 away in the Champions League and the 5-1 home win over Levante on Sunday, suggest the Catalans are hitting top gear.

They are unbeaten in 14 matches in all competitions, and with Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o and Argentina livewire Lionel Messi firing on all cylinders again, Barca look to have regained the hunger that appeared to be missing earlier in the campaign.

Are Barca set to take a leaf out of Real Madrid’s book from last season and overhaul their arch-rivals in the title run-in? Or is Bernd Schuster capable of tightening up Real’s performances again?

The meeting between the sides at the Bernabeu in May promises to be a true title-decider, with two games left to play after that.

Mark Elkington, Madrid

Frank Rijkaard has been accused of being a lame duck coach, lacking tactical awareness and being soft on his players following Barcelona’s 1-0 home defeat by arch-rivals and league leaders Real Madrid on Sunday.

The result ended Barca’s 100 percent home record this season, and left the Catalans seven points behind the leaders in second place.

While not a heavy defeat, Sunday’s showdown seemed to highlight the contrasting fortunes of the side in a number of areas.

Tactically Bernd Schuster won the battle against Rijkaard. Real closed down their opponents all over the pitch, stifling their creativity, and leaving them little room to work their trademark, quick passing moves.

Rijkaard’s questionable decision to field Ronaldinho, short on confidence and fitness, and Deco, just returned from injury, backfired when teenage forward Bojan Krkic and Eidur Gudjohnsen have both impressed in recent games.

Schuster’s decision to field Julio Baptista instead of playmaker Guti in midfield paid dividends as the super-motivated former Arsenal man scored the game’s only goal.

Throughout 2007 Barca have appeared unable to string together the consistency necessary to win a major trophy, and Rijkaard’s mild attempts to get tough with the players look little more than a cosmetic papering over of the cracks.

But are these criticisms valid?

Barca are second in the table and cruised through their Champions League group to make the last 16. They are favourites to see off Celtic, and therefore make the quarter-finals.

They are still in the King’s Cup and have only lost three games in all competitions this season. Ronaldinho is Barca’s second highest scorer in the league and is only 27.

Are we all jumping the gun, or is it time for Barca president Joan Laporta to ring the changes before Real run away with everything?

PHOTO: Frank Rijkaard gestures to his players in the last minute of their defeat by Real Madrid at the Nou Camp, December 23, 2007. REUTERS/Gustau Nacarino

Everyone enjoyed putting the boot in when Leeds United were down and out, but against all the odds Dennis Wise’s outfit have made a storming start to their bid to return to happier days.

Relegated to the third division for the first time in their history the debt-ridden club were also slapped with a 15-point deduction by the Football League for failing to comply with the league’s insolvency policy.

In response, they have equalled Don Revie’s 1973 club record start to a season of seven wins from seven, including the match against Nottingham Forest we wrote about here. A crowd of over 29,000 watched them beat Swansea 2-0 last time out.

They have quickly pulled themselves off the foot of the table and now lie 18th with six points. Without the punishment they would lead the standings by five.

If they go on to win promotion it will be a startling achievement after six miserable years and might win them some positive headlines for a change.

It will be unthinkable for some, but could they become a cuddly, loveable or even admired team? Or is there no escaping the bad old reputation of the Revie years.

Mark Elkington

A new coach, and the small matter of 120 million euros spent on players, have transformed Real Madrid into the team everyone wants to watch.

A 5-0 win away to Villarreal got Real fans tingling with excitement and Bernd Schuster, the German brought in to replace Fabio Capello, seemed to enjoy the performance as much as any Real fan.

Theres no need to hold back the euphoria. Its not too often you win like this in a year, a delighted Schuster said after the game, which followed a 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid on the opening day.

Central to both victories has been the performance of Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder who has now scored three times and set up another for Raul. His desire to move the ball quickly with long and short passes, and lethal shooting from distance has been as important as his tracking back and tackling.

Sneijders understanding with Guti combined with Robinhos ticket to roam proved too much for both Atletico and Villarreal, as they raced forward with swift counter-attacks.

Schuster has still to field his most expensive signing, winger Arjen Robben, who joined from Chelsea for 36 million euros.

Could this side sweep all before them at home and in Europe? La Liga Loca advises waiting to see if this was a freak result or the shape of things to come but most other commentators have been quite happy to join in with Schuster’s euphoria.

Certainly it’s still early days, and their defence still has to find their feet, but they look like they are going to take some stopping.

Mark Elkington, Madrid

Ron Dennis thinks he has problems with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton at McLaren. What about poor Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona coach who is going to have to keep the entire Fabulous Five happy next season?

The debate over whether it is possible for Barcelona to field Samuel Etoo, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry at the same time has taken a new twist with the arrival on the scene of Giovani dos Santos.

The 18-year-old Mexican forward has been the standout player of Barcas pre-season scoring three goals so far and impressing with his pace, skill and eye for goal.

Like Argentina forward Lionel Messi he has been groomed through Barcas youth ranks and looks set to make as big an impact as Messi did in his first season in the Primera Liga.

But with Henry, Etoo, Ronaldinho and Messi in front of him in the pecking order, will he get much of a look in?

Coach Frank Rijkaard has been impressed and has jokingly dubbed him his secret weapon, but is unlikely to change from his usual 4-3-3 formation unless he is chasing a game.

Giovani completely overshadowed Rijkaards first experiment of starting with Etoo, Henry and Ronaldinho in Asia on Tuesday, coming on for an out-of-sorts Henry to deliver the games only goal against Yokohama F-Marinos.

To play him regularly risks upsetting the fragile egos of the more established players, who managed to fall out with each other without the presence of Giovani or Henry last season, but the fans will surely demand to see more of him.

And that’s without even mentioning Bojan Krkic, a player we’ve already dubbed the new Messi on this blog…

Mark Elkington, Madrid

Kakas two superbly taken goals for AC Milan against Manchester United in the Champions League semi-final, and Cristiano Ronaldos flashing runs, will have been watched with a mixture of envy and frustration by Real Madrid fans last night.

Kaka and Ronaldo were Real’s two big transfer targets for next season, but both options now appear to have been closed off.

Ronaldo recently signed a new contract with Manchester United running until 2012, while Milan have resolutely refused to play ball over Kaka, and last night the Italian clubs vice-president Adriano Galliani made it look even more unlikely. There is no chance that he will leave. I am sorry for Reals fans, he told Spanish television station Antena 3.

Real president Ramon Calderon was voted into office in July on the back of a commitment to bring Kaka to Madrid. The failure to complete the promise has haunted him all season, and especially since they stumbled out of the Champions League in the first knockout round.

Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham were the galacticos signed by the former president Florentino Perez. If Calderon wants to revive the policy, who should he now turn to? Could crazy money still be enough to prise Kaka and/or Ronaldo away? Or which other players should be on their shopping list?

Mark Elkington reports on Spanish sport for Reuters from Madrid