BARCELONA — Surgery on Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova's saliva glands went to plan Thursday, the La Liga club said, as assistant Jordi Roura oversaw his first training session since taking charge on a temporary basis. Barca announced Wednesday that Villanova needed a second round of surgery following an operation to remove a tumor in November 2011. The latest procedure would be followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy over the next six weeks and Roura would step in until Vilanova was well enough to return, the club said. In a brief statement on its website Thursday, Barca said Vilanova's progress would determine how long he remained in hospital but it was likely to be the three or four days originally expected. The 44-year-old was sidelined for around three weeks after the surgery last year before returning to his job as assistant to Pep Guardiola and then taking over from his close friend at the end of last season. Under his leadership, Barca has made a record-breaking start to its La Liga campaign and tops the standings with a nine-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid. It has dropped only two points in 16 matches — in a 2-2 draw at home to champion Real Madrid — and is 13 points ahead of its arch-rival in third. Club captain Carles Puyol said Vilanova had been able to reassure the players at a meeting Wednesday and said there would be continuity under Roura, a graduate of the club's youth academy who was one of Guardiola's technical team. — Reuters
