Sports:Piqué: "Physically, I'm fine. Benching me is the manager's decision"

Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué assures that he feels on top form although "with the odd niggle in my hip" which doesn't stop him training or playing in the slightest. His starting off games as a sub is "the manager's decision" and he will continue fighting to be a starter in the team. Real Madrid: "Real will be our competitors until the very end. I can't imagine seeing them far away from us in the league." Benched: "Physically, I'm fine. Although my hip isn't 100%, I can still play. It's totally the manager's decision, to put Mathieu on. Sometimes my hip niggles me a little, but I can train and play with no problems." The Champions League: "There is a very, very good generation of players here at Barça that we have to take advantage of as much as we can. We have had great times with them but we can't expect to win the Champions League every year. Nobody could bear an expectation like that." Messi and Neymar: "When Messi and Neymar get together, they connect amazingly well. We have two of the best players in the world." His present form: "I'm very happy with my performance. I can't really do much about what the journalists think. I have never felt the right to be a starter or a sub. You just look to the next game and keep on working hard." Mathieu: "He's a very fast player, who clears well and has adapted very well." The all-new Barça: "I think that we have improved defensively, but the season is very long and that improvement has to last all year." Read more: Piqué: "Physically, I'm fine. Benching me is the manager's decision" - MARCA.com