Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola insists there's no rift with Gerard Pique.

The former Manchester United defender is tipped to start tonight against Champions League opponents Chelsea.

"As for Gerard, there is no problem at all. He has had an injury for a long time," said Guardiola.

"I have many players and can choose Javier Mascherano and Carles Puyol, who are a good combination in central defence.

"We wanted to have the right players to face [Karim] Benzema, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Angel] Di Maria and that is why I decided to play with the players I have chosen so far.

"I do appreciate Gerard because of his approach to life and because how he loves football.

"The rest is just my decision, the fact he plays or not."