Sergino Dest will return, but Frenkie de Jong misses out due to a one-match ban when Barcelona welcome Celta Vigo to Camp Nou on Sunday.
Barcelona will be hoping to retain their fading La Liga title hopes and end the season on a strong note when they play hosts to Celta Vigo at Camp Nou on Sunday evening. And, Ronald Koeman has a fresh roster issue to contend with ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Frenkie de Jong will not be a part of the matchday squad due to a suspension accrued following an accumulation of yellow cards. In addition, Sergi Roberto is unavailable after sustaining a thigh injury last time out against Levante while Oscar Mingueza will not be involved after being allowed to play for Barcelona B for the promotion play-off against UCAM Murcia. Ansu Fati and Philippe Coutinho, meanwhile, are long-term absentees.
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During his pre-match press conference, Koeman commented on letting Mingueza play for Barcelona B this weekend. He said, “I have let Oscar Mingueza go to the B team for tomorrow. I think the player must be thanked because he wanted to help his teammates for promotion and we must value him.”
With Mingueza unavailable, Ronald Araujo picks himself on the right side of the three-man central defensive unit, where he will have Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet for company. In goal, there is no looking past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Frenkie de Jong’s suspension could signal a shift in formation, with Barcelona reverting to a 3-4-3 setup that will release Ousmane Dembele to feature in the attacking trifecta, where he will be lining up alongside Antoine Griezmann and captain Lionel Messi, who was one of the better performers for Barcelona against Levante.
That means Sergino Dest will be reinstated in the starting lineup, with the young defender becoming a certainty for the remaining two games of the season owing to Roberto’s injury. On the left flank, Jordi Alba pretty much picks himself as the left wing-back, having revelled in the role ever since the introduction of the new system.
Finally, the twin-pronged midfield unit ought to feature Sergio Busquets and Pedri in what will essentially be a double pivot. Ilaix Moriba and Riqui Puig will, therefore, be backup options on the bench for Barcelona boss Koeman.
Barcelona Predicted XI: ter Stegen; Araujo, Pique, Lenglet; Dest, Busquets, Pedri, Alba; Griezmann, Messi, Dembele
