BARCELONA coach Pep Guardiola insists he has several options in the full-back position for Wednesday’s showdown with Manchester United in Rome.

First-choice full-backs Dani Alves and Eric Abidal both miss out through suspension, meaning Guardiola will have to reshuffle a backline already missing several key components.

Mexico captain Rafa Marquez has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, while Argentina defender Gabi Milito is still absent following more than a year on the sidelines. That leaves just three senior central defenders available for Wednesday’s match.

Of those, captain Carles Puyol and former United defender Gerard Pique are certain starters, but Uruguay centre-back Martin Caceres seems unlikely to feature after receiving scant playing time from Guardiola in recent weeks.

Caceres began the season as the clubs fourth-choice centre-back, but Guardiola preferred to move holding midfielder Yaya Toure back into the side’s defence for Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea.

And the Ivory Coast midfielder now looks set to line up alongside Pique in central defence on Wednesday, with Puyol reverting to one of the full-back positions.

“Puyol is versatile; he can play in central defence, on the right or on the left,” Guardiola explained. “You always know you will get total commitment from him and he won’t let me down wherever I play him – it’s possible he’ll start at left-back, although I have several options.”

Guardiola is also sweating on the fitness of Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta. Henry has been sidelined since the club’s amazing win at Real Madrid at the beginning of the month, while Iniesta has been out with a thigh problem .

Both players are expected to feature on Wednesday, though.

Guardiola fielded a host of youngsters and fringe players in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Osasuna, after which Barcelona received the Primera Liga trophy.