Barcelona pledge support to Tito Vilanova

Barcelona have vowed to stand by manager Tito Vilanova as he prepares to battle cancer for a second time.

The 44-year-old will undergo surgery on Thursday before six weeks of chemotherapy after suffering relapse.

A date for the Spaniard's return has yet to be set, but club president Sandro Rosell insists that he has their "unconditional support".

He said at a press conference: "Tito is strong, very strong. He's shown us that and we're convinced he'll back with us very soon.

"We want to express our unconditional support to Tito and his family.

"We thank everyone for their support. We have complete confidence in the team. The club is very strong and united, we're capable of overcoming adversity."

Barcelona are currently seeing an interim manager to stand in for Vilanova, but have yet to hint at when an appointment could be made.