Once the international break is over, Barcelona are set to resume their campaign on Sunday when they lock horns with Athletic Club.
However, as the club juggle with so many injuries, the subsequent game against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League could be the one to look forward to, especially in terms of team selection.
Balde & Yamal likely to feature against Shakhtar
Barcelona, right now, have up to seven players on the sidelines, including players such as Pedri, Robert Lewandowski and Frenkie de Jong, among others.
But as per Diario SPORT, Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde, two of Barça’s youngest stars, look likely to be available for the clash against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Both players have minor issues and should be available for the Champions League encounter, which could serve as a major boost for Xavi Hernandez.
The two, however, remain doubtful for the clash against Athletic Club, potentially forcing Xavi to make a few adjustments in the starting eleven.
Lewandowski, De Jong completely ruled out
Referring to Barcelona’s upcoming three matches against Athletic Club, Shakhtar and Real Madrid as ‘Tourmalet’, Diario SPORT suggests Lewandowski and de Jong are almost completely ruled out.
This is because both players are nursing serious injuries and as such, they are 90% ruled out from these encounters, which could spell serious trouble for Xavi.
Barcelona are likely to have other players available for the Shakhtar game, though Xavi might look to rest a few players, as he keeps an eye on the Real Madrid encounter.
One of the players likely to be rested against Shakhtar is Ronald Araujo. The defender, recently marking his return to the Uruguay national team after 13 months, does need some rest before he locks horns with Real Madrid, later this month.