MX23RW : Wednesday, June 12 09:40:39| >> :120:49433:49433:
[monks data]
Champions League | Group Stage
Nov 1, 2022 at 8pm UK
Doosan Arena
Barcelona logo

Plzen
2 - 4
Barcelona

Chory (51' pen., 63')
N'Diaye (47')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Alonso (6'), Torres (44', 54'), Torre (75')
Gavi (42'), Torre (50'), Torres (90+2')

Barcelona missing eight players for Viktoria Plzen clash

Barcelona missing eight players for Viktoria Plzen clash
© Reuters
Barcelona will be missing eight first-team players for Tuesday's Champions League contest with Viktoria Plzen, including Robert Lewandowski and Sergio Busquets.

Barcelona boss Xavi will be without the services of eight first-team players for Tuesday's Champions League contest with Viktoria Plzen.

The Catalan outfit saw their last-16 hopes come to an end last week, with the club guaranteed to finish third in Group C, which will see them drop into the Europa League.

As a result, Xavi has taken the opportunity to rest leading goalscorer Robert Lewandowski, with the Poland international not making the trip to the Czech Republic with his teammates due to a slight issue.

"Lewandowski has a minor discomfort. He was on the squad list for the match against Viktoria, but in the end we preferred him to rest. He'll be fine for Saturday's game," Xavi told reporters during his press conference.

Ferran Torres could therefore be given a rare start through the middle, while Sergio Busquets is also a notable absentee for the La Liga giants through suspension.

Sergio Busquets in action for Barcelona on September 13, 2022© Reuters

Ronald Araujo again misses out, as he continues his recovery from thigh surgery, while Sergi Roberto is facing a period on the sidelines due to a dislocated shoulder.

Memphis Depay and Andreas Christensen are entering the latter stages of their recoveries from hamstring and ankle problems, but the pair have again been left out of the squad for this match.

Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde, meanwhile, have both been left out of the trip due to the problems that they picked up in the 1-0 win over Valencia at the weekend.

Kounde's issue is not said to be serious, with the defender suffering with muscular fatigue, but Garcia is facing a spell on the sidelines due to a groin issue.

Jules Kounde is unveiled as a Barcelona player on August 1, 2022© Reuters

Marc Casado, Alvaro Sanz, Ilias Akhomach and Alex Valle have all been brought into the first-team squad for the European contest due to the number of absentees.

Xavi, speaking during his press conference, confirmed that both Inaki Pena and Pablo Torre would be involved in the contest with Viktoria Plzen.

"Inaki Pena and Pablo Torre will play tomorrow against Viktoria. We will give minutes to players who haven't played so much so far," said the head coach.

"It's an important game for us. We want to end this competition with a good performance and continue our good form in the league. The match against Viktoria is also an important duel for players who play few minutes and for the youngsters. Every game is an opportunity."

Barcelona have three more games before the season breaks for the World Cup, following this match with fixtures against Almeria and Osasuna in Spain's top flight.

Barcelona squad vs. Viktoria Plzen:

Ter Stegen, Pena, Tenas; Bellerin, Pique, Alonso, Alba, Balde, Valle; Pedri, Kessie, F de Jong, Casado, Gavi, Torre, Sanz; Dembele, Fati, Torres, Raphinha, Akhomach

ID:498398:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5510:No Data Analysis info

Click here for more stories about Andreas Christensen

Click here for more stories about Barcelona

Game History

How you voted: Plzen vs Barcelona

Viktoria Plzen
12.5%
Draw
11.7%
Barcelona
75.8%
248
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Barcelona's Ronald Araujo pictured in September 2022
Read Next:
Barcelona missing five players through injury against Inter Milan
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Euro 2024 fixtures header
Friday, June 14
 
8pm
Saturday, June 15
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Sunday, June 16
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Monday, June 17
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Tuesday, June 18
 
5pm
Wednesday, June 19
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Thursday, June 20
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Group Stage
Spain
vs.
Italy
Friday, June 21
 
2pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
Saturday, June 22
 
5pm
 
8pm
Sunday, June 23
 
8pm
 
8pm
Monday, June 24
 
8pm
 
8pm
Tuesday, June 25
 
5pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
 
8pm
Wednesday, June 26
 
5pm
 
5pm
 
8pm
 
8pm
Saturday, June 29
Sunday, June 30
Monday, July 1
Tuesday, July 2
Friday, July 5
Saturday, July 6
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Germany Germany00000
2 Hungary Hungary00000
3 Scotland flag Scotland00000
4 Switzerland Switzerland00000

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Albania national flag Albania00000
2 Croatia Croatia00000
3 Italy Italy00000
4 Spain Spain00000

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Denmark Denmark00000
2 England flag England00000
3 Serbia Serbia00000
4 Slovenia Slovenia00000

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Austria Austria00000
2 France France00000
3 Netherlands Netherlands00000
4 Poland Poland00000

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Belgium Belgium00000
2 Romania Romania00000
3 Slovakia Slovakia00000
4 Ukraine Ukraine00000

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Czech Republic Czech Republic00000
2 Georgia Georgia00000
3 Portugal Portugal00000
4 Turkey Turkey00000


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!