Eto'o snubs chance to play

Frank Rijkaard has revealed Samuel Eto'o refused to play gainst Racing Santander.

Eto'o snubbed the opportunity to play the last five minutes of Barcelona's 2-0 win at Camp Nou.

The Cameroon ace has only recently returned from a serious knee injury he sustained in the UEFA Champions League against Werder Bremen.

Eto'o made a brief return against Osasuna last weekend, but he did no want to take any risks against Santander.

The African informed Eusebio - a member of the Barca coaching staff - he did not want to come on.

"He did not want to come on, I don't know why. He did not tell me, he told Eusebio," said Rijkaard.

"Am I annoyed? It is a shame because every minute he plays can be very important."

Barca president Joan Laporta defended Eto'o, saying it was natural that he was unsure about playing after such a bad injury and he is confident Rijkaard will resolve the problem with the striker.

"Samuel has suffered for four months and to be happy he needs to play and score. We have to be on his side," said Laporta.

"And Rijkaard, a master in these matters, will know how to iron things out and find the right solution."