Luis Enrique has Lionel Messi back for selection following his one-match ban as Barcelona host Sevilla at Camp Nou on Wednesday night.
Barcelona are back in action in La Liga, two days after their resounding 4-1 win over Granada on Sunday as they play hosts to Sevilla at Camp Nou on Wednesday. A win is vital for the Catalan club as they look to maintain pace with league leaders Real Madrid in the race to win La Liga.
Sevilla’s form has petered out in the last month after keeping up with the two traditional giants of Spanish football and they will be eager to make a mark on this fixture on Wednesday. Ahead of the meeting between the two sides though, here’s the all-important team news for Barcelona.
The report on that front is not alarming by any stretch although Luis Enrique does have three players unavailable due to injury concerns. Aleix Vidal remains a long-term absentee due to the ankle injury he picked up two months ago, and will not play again until next season.
? Leo Messi has Sevilla’s number – 6 goals in his last 4 league games at Camp Nou. See them all right here! ➡️ https://t.co/0WfIC0BCrr pic.twitter.com/QdH2qyEOEj
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 4, 2017
Meanwhile, Arda Turn is out with a groin injury, but is likely to be back in action for the Blaugrana in a couple of weeks. The duo have now been joined by Brazilian midfielder Rafinha, after he sustained an injury to his knee in the match against Granada on Sunday.
Speaking on Rafinha;s injury in his pre-match press conference, Luis Enrique said that he still doesn’t have a clear picture on the duration of his absence, as he said: “We’ll know more in 48 hours.”
The big news, however, is that Barcelona’s talisman, Lionel Messi is back after serving his one-match ban in the club’s trip to Granada on the weekend. The Argentina captain is expected to start, with star attacking partners Luis Suarez and Neymar giving him company in the front three.
Speaking on Messi’s return, Enrique said: “Messi was out with a suspension but has been training regularly. Let’s look on the positive side of the mini break he has had. We all want to see Messi out on the field and that’s what we’ll get.”
In other news, Gerard Pique is also likely to slot back into the starting lineup after being rested for Sunday’s match, with Samuel Umtiti partnering him at the heart of the Barcelona defence.
