When Barcelona takes on Athletic Club at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday evening, they will be looking to get back on track after the recent international break and win for the first time since before the break.

La Liga’s current champions headed into the two-week break on a negative note after being held to a 2-2 draw by Granada, a team that is battling for its survival in the league.

The all-important El Clasico will take place the following weekend, and Xavi Hernandez and the rest of the team will be anxious to enter the match with a winning streak already under their belts.

However, the Blaugrana are missing as many as six players for the game because of injuries and fitness issues. Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Sergi Roberto, and Jules Kounde are all unable to play for the Blaugrana.

The good news is that Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde have fully recovered from their minor injuries and are now in the running to play on Sunday night. This information was confirmed by Xavi himself.

Even with Athletic Club’s recent success, Ernesto Valverde’s squad won’t be easy to beat, and here’s how Xavi may position Barcelona to take on the Basque club tomorrow.

To begin with

During the time that Germany was playing its friendly matches in the United States, Marc-Andre ter Stegen was one of the three players who returned late from international duty. In spite of this, it is anticipated that the goalie will participate from the very beginning of Sunday’s match against Athletic Club.

When it comes to the players that will make up his defensive unit for the game tomorrow, Xavi faces some challenging choices.

It should not come as a surprise if the manager of Barcelona decides to start Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Balde on the bench for the upcoming games against Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid because those are two of the most important games for the team.

As a result, Marcos Alonso should start at left back, and Inigo Martinez will earn a start in the middle of the defense against his former club, which will be an unusual occurrence for Martinez. Due to the fact that Jules Kounde won’t be able to play, the Spaniard’s partner will be Andreas Christensen.

Will Inigo Martinez take the field against his previous organization? (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Eric Alonso))

Xavi has no choice but to keep playing Joao Cancelo at right back because Sergi Roberto is sidelined with an injury, despite the fact that the Portuguese player has been in constant action without a break since the beginning of the previous month.

Following the international trip to and from the United States that Xavi took, it is possible that Ilkay Gundogan will be given some time off by Xavi.

As a result, it should clear the way for Fermin Lopez to start for Barcelona when they take on Athletic Club. Both Gavi and Oriol Romeu will take up residence in the final two places in the park’s central area.

Because Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski are not available, Xavi does not have a lot of rotational flexibility in the attacking positions. As a result, the Catalans’ offensive trident ought to consist of Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, and Joao Felix.

Alternate Terms for

On Sunday, there will most certainly be some younger players on the bench because Xavi will enter the game with only 13 first-team players.

Marc Guiu, Unai Hernandez, and Hector Fort are candidates to be added to the team, and any one of them or all of them might potentially play against Athletic.

Alejandro Balde is another possibility for Xavi to consider when looking to add another offensive component on the left flank, and Ronald Araujo might be used to bolster the defensive capabilities of the team.