Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said Friday that goalkeeper and skipper Iker Casillas will definitely go to the Confederations Cup in Brazil in June even if he does not regain his starting place with Real Madrid. "He will be with us barring any extraordinary occurrence," said Del Bosque. "It would be good if he were playing (with Real) but there is only a month-and-a-half left" to the end of the season. "That will not impact upon his physical fitness," insisted Del Bosque in comments made in Madrid.

Barcelona assistant coach Jordi Roura said Friday he would not rush back Lionel Messi, as the Argentine star recovers from a thigh injury and is unlikely to be risked in the next match against Levante. "He (Messi) came back to training with the squad today (Friday) and that's good. But I think it's a little bit early for tomorrow against Levante. We will see how things stand after the final training session" on Saturday, Roura told reporters.

Brazil is beefing up the number of staff and plane slots at its airports to ensure smooth travel for fans and teams headed to the Confederations Cup, a dry run for the 2014 World Cup, officials said Thursday. Air traffic will be a major challenge during the June 15-30 event with an estimated 335,000 passengers expected to visit the six host cities in addition to Sao Paulo, home to the country's main international airport.

Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said in an interview broadcast on Thursday that he believes the treatment of sidelined Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas at Real Madrid has been unfair. Casillas broke a bone in his left hand while playing for Real against Valencia on January 23 and despite returning to training in recent weeks, has yet to win his place back in Jose Mourinho's side. Spain coach Vicente del Bosque on Wednesday indicated that he was likely to name Casillas in his squad for the Confederations Cup in Brazil in June.