Sport Update 2u

The squads can now be compared player by player after Madrid and Barca named their players for the season...

Barcelona and Real Madrid have both released their squad numbers for the new league season and the Blaugrana will have nobody wearing seven, while Rafael van der Vart has retained 23 at the Bernabeu.

While most supporters will already have their favourite player's name with the correct number on their new shirt there are some changes from last term.

At Camp Nou Daniel Alves has taken advantage of Martin Caceres' departure to Juventus to claim the number two jersey, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken over number nine from Samuel Eto'o.

No player will wear the number seven as the squad was lodged with the league only hours after Eidur Gudjohnsen left to join Monaco and saw no takers for his shirt.

At Madrid it is well known that Cristiano Ronaldo has gone the same route as David Beckham and not challenged Raul for seven, instead taking the number nine vacated by Javier Saviola.

Kaka has the number eight with Fernando Gago deciding that he prefers the number five jersey and newcomer Alvaro Arbeloa has claimed number two for himself after Michel Salgado left and Miguel Torres followed him out of the club.

When Madrid had made all their summer signings the club's hierarchy stated that they had to reduce the squad down to at least 25, but instead they have gone one better and joined Barca in only registering 24 players.

Barcelona

1 - Victor Valdes
2 - Dani Alves
3 - Gerard Pique
4 - Rafa Marquez
5 - Carles Puyol
6 - Xavi
8 - Andres Iniesta
9 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic
10- Lionel Messi
11- Bojan
13- Jose Manuel Pinto
14- Thierry Henry
15- Seydou Keita
16- Sergio Busquets
17- Pedro
18- Gaby Milito
19- Maxwell
21- Dmytro Chygrynskiy
22- Eric Abidal
24- Toure Yaya
28- Jonathan
32- Andreu Fontas
33- Marc Muniesa
35- Jeffren Suarez

Real Madrid

1 - Iker Casillas
2 - Alvaro Arbeloa
3 - Pepe
4 - Sergio Ramos
5 - Fernando Gago
6 - Mahamadou Diarra
7 - Raul
8 - Kaka
9 - Cristiano Ronaldo
10- Lassana Diarra
11- Karim Benzema
12- Marcelo
13- Jerzy Dudek
14- Jose Maria Gutierrez ‘Guti’
15- Royston Drenthe
16-
17- Ruud van Nistelrooy
18- Raul Albiol
19- Ezequiel Garay
20- Gonzalo Higuain
21- Cristoph Metzelder
22- Xabi Alonso
23- Rafael van der Vaart
24- Esteban Granero
25- Antonio Adan (inscribed in the Champions League)