Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o has marvelled at the magnificent form of team-mate Bojan Krkic and joked that should he continue at this level, he will push him out of the squard

Bojan Could Push Me Out - Eto’o smiled.
Bojan has emerged as one of Barcelona’s best forwards this season in terms of form and goal conversion rates, a statistic few would have foreseen as the Blaugrana began the season with a forward quartet dubbed the Fantastic Four: Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and new signing Thierry Henry.

However, due to injuries to all four as well as questionable form produced by some of the quartet, Bojan has, particularly in recent weeks, proved to be something of a saving grace.

He has infact forced the star duo of Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o to play either side of him, as he now starts in the prestigious position of lead striker, with Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho currently unavailable due to injury.

Putting Ronaldinho’s bizarre and frankly inexplicable situation aside, Messi will be available within the next few weeks and, when he slots back in on the right hand side, Eto’o and Henry could well have to battle it out for the role on the left-hand side - currently occupied by Henry - while Bojan retains his position in the middle.

Eto’o stated as much when asked about the 17-year-old following his match-winning goal in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal clash with Schalke 04, albeit with a humorous overtone.

�If he continues like that, this kid will push me out,� smiled Eto�o.

Thierry Henry has emerged as an on-pitch mentor for the half-Serbian Spanish under-21 international, Eto’o has said he could play a similar part in the youngster’s development, comparing the situation with his own relationship with Real Madrid legend Raul - Eto’o having of course started his career with his current side’s bitter rivals.

�When I started at Real Madrid, Raul was my mentor,” recalled Eto’o. “I am okay to be Bojan�s now.

He went as far as to suggest Bojan may emulate the Real Madrid captain’s success, as he became the club’s second highest scorer of all time just this weekend, in what is become an ever-growing list of records broken by the los Blancos legend.

�Would he like to score 290 goals in his career like Raul? His future is here in his mind,� Eto’o said ominously.

Bojan has scored 10 goals in 38 appearances this season. Perhaps more notably, eight of those goals were scored in just 15 starts.