Jordi Alba will replace Alejandro Balde, while Ousmane Dembele is unavailable for the game between Barcelona and Sevilla.
Barcelona will be eager to remain well ahead of Real Madrid atop La Liga when they welcome Sevilla to Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday night. And Xavi Hernandez does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Ousmane Dembele remains unavailable due to a muscle injury that will keep him sidelined for a few more games. But Alejandro Balde is fit and available after initial concerns surrounding his fitness. The young defender is a part of the squad to take on Sevilla this weekend.
Xavi spoke about dealing with the absence of Dembele during his pre-match press conference. And the Barcelona manager insisted that his team can cope with the Frenchman’s absence despite the obvious loss in quality.
He said, “Dembele is the best one-on-one player in the squad. Without him, we lose that quality that generates a lot of chances, but Raphinha, Ferran, Ansu can also do it… We lose in one-on-one but we gain in other things.”
Barcelona vs Sevilla Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
While Balde is fit, Xavi will unlikely risk him against Sevilla. So Jordi Alba should return to the starting lineup, featuring as the left-back. Jules Kounde picks himself on the right flank. Meanwhile, Ronald Araujo might earn some rest, with Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen forming the central defensive partnership.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen is an automatic pick between the sticks. Meanwhile, Xavi has persisted with the combination of four midfielders in recent games. And he spoke about the significance of the system during his presser.
Xavi said, “I think we are comfortable with any system. We have played great games with two wingers. We do the same as last year but we are more mature and with more variations. The four midfielders who play are the ones who lose fewer balls and there are fewer transitions.”
“It benefits the whole team because we lose fewer balls and avoid more transitions from the opponent, we are more together, if we are like this the pressure is immediate, it benefits the whole team.”
All four midfielders should start on Sunday. So Gavi will be the most advanced of the quartet, playing in the final third alongside Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha. And Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, and Pedri will form the midfield trifecta. Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres will be the backup options on the bench.
Predicted Barcelona XI: ter Stegen; Kounde, Christensen, Garcia, Alba; de Jong, Busquets, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi
