Clement Lenglet is expected to return while Martin Braithwaite could start ahead of Antoine Griezmann when Barcelona take on Leganes.
Defending champions Barcelona will take to their home pitch for the first time in over three months, when they welcome Leganes to Camp Nou in their Matchday 29 of La Liga.
Barcelona sit on top of the table by the skin of their teeth, which is a two-point advantage over Real Madrid, who will face a much tougher competition in the form of Valencia away from home. Moreover, Quique Setien has almost every player available for this clash except for Ousmane Dembele.
Luis Suarez, too, has returned after a spending four months on the sidelines due to an ankle injury, although he did not start last weekend against RCD Mallorca. Martin Braithwaite got the nod over the Uruguayan, and might just get to keep his place in the lineup, albeit over Antoine Griezmann, who had another underwhelming performance. Lionel Messi is expected to continue at right wing.
In his pre-match press conference (h/t Barca Blaugranes), Quique Setien hinted that he will make a lot of changes from the game against Mallorca as the games in the league continue to come thick and fast.
“There will be changes and there will also be changes as the games go. I do not want the players to be exhausted. It will be necessary to see how they recover, especially, thinking of avoiding injuries and arriving fresh.”
“Griezmann has almost played every game. It’s true that there are more players now and the minutes will have to be shared. We will see how the competition evolves and the needs we have. Griezmann will continue to play a leading role, he is an important player.”
“Except for some specific players, I don’t think we have starters or substitutes. The fact they played the first game doesn’t mean they’ll play the second. There will be a lot of rotation. I want all the squad to participate and I want them to be ready.”
Arturo Vidal might be rested, with Arthur Melo, who did not start the previous game, coming in. Apart from that, Setien has the likes of Riqui Puig, Alex Collado, and Monchu at his disposal from the B team, but Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets will get the nod ahead of the youth team trio.
Barcelona have Clement Lenglet back ready to start after serving a suspension last time out for the yellow card he received against Real Sociedad. He will partner Gerard Pique at the heart of defence. With Jordi Alba suspended, Junior Firpo is expected to start against Leganes as the left-back.
Firpo came on in the last five minutes against Mallorca, replacing de Jong as Alba pushed into the left wing role. Nelson Semedo, who did not start the last game, ought to return to the lineup, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen holds the fort between posts.
Barcelona Predicted XI: ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Junior; de Jong, Busquets, Arthur; Messi, Suarez, Braithwaite
