Robert Lewandowski is suspended, meaning Ansu Fati will lead the line for Barcelona against Getafe at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Barcelona will look to remain perched atop the summit of La Liga when they welcome Getafe to Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday evening. And Xavi Hernandez will be without two first-team players in his side’s latest fixture.
Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres will miss the next two La Liga games due to suspension. But Xavi has an otherwise full-strength squad this weekend. So the Barcelona manager should name a strong starting lineup on Sunday.
During his pre-match press conference, Xavi spoke about potentially replacing Lewandowski with Ansu Fati. The Barcelona manager also shed some light on the fitness of Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong, who have recently recovered from minor issues.
Xavi said, “He plays a decisive role in the team, that’s why he’s a differential player and makes a difference. He is decisive and is important for the team, even more so in the games that Robert [Lewandowski] is not playing due to suspension. He has to be a reference.”
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“They [Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong} are available, but they are coming back from injury. We’ll see how they are tomorrow. Now we can’t play with players at 80%. Every game is a war, it’s a final.”
Araujo should be fit enough to start, taking his place as the right-back. The Uruguayan international will likely join Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, and Alejandro Balde in the backline. And Marc-Andre ter Stegen picks himself between the sticks.
As for the midfield unit, Frenkie de Jong should sit at the base if he is fit enough. And Sergio Busquets will feature in the holding midfield role if de Jong cannot make it to the starting lineup. But Gavi and Pedri are automatic picks in the middle of the park.
Finally, the three attackers pick themselves in the absence of Lewandowski and Torres. With Memphis Depay joining Atletico Madrid, Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, and Ansu Fati are the only options at Xavi’s disposal.
So Ansu Fati should spearhead the Barcelona attack against Getafe on Sunday. And Dembele and Raphinha will likely be the two wide attackers, forming a fluid offensive unit. Alternatively, Gavi or Pedri can also play a more advanced role if required.
Predicted Barcelona XI: ter Stegen; Araujo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Gavi, de Jong, Pedri; Raphinha, Fati, Dembele
