18 players in Barcelona squad to face Deportivo

Barça players in training ahead of Deportivo game | Image: FCB

La Liga is Back!!! Barça is Back!!! FC Barcelona return to action after a hectic two weeks of watching international games that lasted a century. The team return to action as they look to get back to winning ways following their 4-3 loss to Celta Vigo in their last game.

Barça host Deportivo La Coruña in their 8th Liga game of the season as they continue their bid to defend the title. Still fourth on the log, they will have the chance to go temporarily top of the table if they manage to get a win.

Coach Luis Enrique, who surely is aware that it won’t be an easy game as in the past two seasons, have named his squad of 18 players for the game and still, it did not features out-of-favour right-back Aleix Vidal.

The right-back sat out the club’s last 6 squad lists, his last game coming against Alavés last month and still was not selected for the chance to prove himself despite the injury of first choice right-back Sergi Roberto after the international break. Vidal is likely to leave Barça in January as sources speculate and he is the only first team right-back available for the game.

Barça will be delighted to welcome an important duo in Samuel Umtiti and Lionel Messi. Both players returned to training after picking up injuries that have kept them out of the club’s last few games and have been given the medical greenlight to feature, although it’s still unclear if they both will start.

Ivan Rakitic is also fit to feature which means the only players out of the game are Jasper Cillessen, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto, the former’s unavailability prompting Luis Enrique to give third choice goalkeeper Jordi Masip a call-up.

FC BARCELONA SQUAD VS DEPORTIVO LA CORUÑA

Goalkeepers: Marc Andre Ter Stegen, Jordi Masip;

Defenders: Gerard Piqué, Javier Mascherano, Jeremy Mathieu, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne;

Midfielders: Ivan Rakitic, André Gomes, Sérgio Busquets, Denis Suarez, Rafinha Alcántara, Andrés Iniesta, Arda Turan;

Forwards: Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Paco Alcácer, Neymar.