Boca coach Bianchi hopes to finish on a high note

South American champions Boca Juniors are set to rule midfielder Walter Nicolas Gaitan out of their World Club Cup game with Bayern Munich in Tokyo tomorrow.

"I haven't yet decided the starting line up, because Walter Gaitan got a slight injury during the practice yesterday and it's not sure he can play tomorrow," Boca coach Carlos Bianchi said today.

"He felt something wrong when he hit the ball yesterday. He already received a medical check. I'm going to decide the starting players according to his condition tomorrow morning. "I have some other options: Vilolarreal, Pinto and Marchant."

Marcelo Alejandro Delgado and Guillermo Barros Schelotto are expected to start in attack ahead of play maker Juan Riquelme as Boca look to retain the Cup they won last year by beating Real Madrid.

But Bianchi counselled caution at his final press call before the match against reigning European champions Bayern Munich:

"This team may be not as good as our team last year, because six players left the club and we had to build a new team this season."

"But we've won the continental championship with this team and I think the level is almost the same. I believe we can cope with Bayern Munich squarely. We have a chance to beat them."

Bianchi's Velez Sarsfield also won the Cup in 1994 by beating AC Milan. The coach is to leave Boca at the end of his contract next month and has agreed to join Palameiras in Brazil although that deal has not been completed yet.

He has led Boca to back-to-back Copa Libertadores championships and three Arfentine titles.