Ferran Torres and Franck Kessie will return, but Ansu Fati will drop to the bench when Barcelona and Getafe face off on Sunday.
Barcelona will aim to inch closer to reclaiming the league title when they lock horns with Getafe at Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Sunday afternoon. And Xavi Hernandez does not have any new issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Andreas Christensen, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Ousmane Dembele are not in the travelling squad. And Xavi has again picked several youth prospects to get some exposure to the first-team environment this weekend.
During his pre-match press conference, Xavi Hernandez had a positive update on the injured players. The Barcelona manager also spoke about Robert Lewandowski playing with physical discomfort in recent games.
Xavi said, “Next week, most of the injured players will return. They could have returned now, but we preferred to rest them for an additional week. Lewandowski wants to help the team. He played several times with pain. He is a leader.”
Getafe vs Barcelona Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
Lewandowski will spearhead the Barcelona attack again on Sunday, with the visitors lining up in the usual 4-3-3 formation. Raphinha will also continue on the right flank, but Ansu Fati will drop to the bench. And Ferran Torres will start in Fati’s place on the left wing.
As for the midfield unit, Franck Kessie should return in Sergi Roberto’s place. The Ivory Coast international faces a few crucial games to preserve his future at Spotify Camp Nou. Meanwhile, Sergio Busquets and Gavi are automatic picks in the middle of the park.
Finally, the defensive unit will remain unchanged, with Eric Garcia getting another chance to impress. And Xavi insisted during his presser that Garcia’s best position is as a centre-back instead of a holding midfielder.
He said, “He has been a defender throughout his career. We think he can adapt to the pivot role because he plays well with the ball and is always positioned well, and wins duels, as we saw against Elche.”
Garcia will join Ronald Araujo in the central defensive partnership. Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde should continue as the full-backs. And there is no looking past Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks.
Predicted Barcelona XI: ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Garcia, Balde; Gavi, Busquets, Kessie; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Torres
