Ansu Fati and Frenkie de Jong will return to the starting lineup when Barcelona and Viktoria Plzen face off in the UEFA Champions League.

Barcelona will aim to kick-start the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League campaign with a win when they play hosts to Viktoria Plzen at the Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday night. And Xavi Hernandez has a fully-fit squad at his disposal ahead of his side’s latest fixture.

The only players missing for Barcelona on Wednesday will be Marcos Alonso and Hector Bellerin. The two summer arrivals are not fit or sharp enough to represent Barcelona yet, and Xavi will work with the duo to get them ready for the fixture congestion until the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

During his pre-match press conference, Xavi confirmed Alonso and Bellerin’s absence from the matchday squad for the game against Viktoria Plzen. But the Barcelona boss suggested that the duo might be available on the weekend in La Liga. Xavi also added that he might make a few rotations versus Viktoria Plzen.

The Barcelona manager said, “Yes, there will be rotations for the game. We have a lot of players and there was fatigue after the war in the Sevilla game. Yes, there will be rotations for the game. We have a lot of players and there was fatigue after the war in the Sevilla game.”

Barcelona vs Viktoria Plzen Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Xavi then continued by saying, “I  have a good team but the players must show their quality. I can say I have the best team and then lose tomorrow. You can ask me at the end of the season if I have the best team in the world.”

Marc-Andre ter Stegen picks himself between the sticks and should see Barcelona line up in a 4-3-3 formation against Viktoria Plzen in front of him. Andreas Christensen might be the first of the shuffles, with the Dane expected to replace Eric Garcia as Ronald Araujo’s central defensive partner. Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde should continue as the two full-backs.

Frenkie de Jong is in line to return to the starting lineup, with Gavi due for some rest. Gavi will likely drop to the bench to make way for de Jong, who will line up alongside Sergio Busquets and Pedri in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile, Xavi also suggested that Ansu Fati might be ready to start games for Barcelona. The Barcelona boss said, “I spoke with Ansu Fati and yes, he’s ready to start. We continue our work with him.”

Fati should be in the starting lineup against Viktoria Plzen, taking up the left-wing berth, with Ousmane Dembele getting some rest. Raphinha will likely continue on the right flank, with Robert Lewandowski set to spearhead the Barcelona attack against Viktoria Plzen. Dembele, Ferran Torres, and Memphis Depay will be backup offensive options for Barcelona.

Predicted Barcelona XI: ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Balde; de Jong, Busquets, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Fati

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Recommended

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.