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Villarreal logo
La Liga | Gameweek 21
Feb 12, 2023 at 8pm UK
Estadio de la Cerámica
Barcelona logo

Villarreal
0 - 1
Barcelona


Torres (37'), Baena (49'), Parejo (62'), Moreno (71')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Pedri (18')
Araujo (43'), de Jong (56'), Kounde (58'), Raphinha (81')

Barcelona missing two players for Villarreal contest

Barcelona missing two players for Villarreal contest
© Reuters
Barcelona will be missing Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Busquets for Sunday night's La Liga contest with Villarreal.

Barcelona boss Xavi has named his squad for Sunday's La Liga contest against Villarreal, with Sergio Busquets and Ousmane Dembele, as expected, the only absentees.

Busquets is facing a spell on the sidelines with the ankle injury that he picked up in the team's 3-0 victory over Sevilla in La Liga last weekend.

Dembele, meanwhile, suffered a hamstring problem at the end of January, and the France international is not expected to be back on the field until the middle of next month.

A timeframe for Busquets has not been set, although it is believed that the experienced midfielder will be missing for the remainder of the month.

Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele on January 8, 2023© Reuters

Barcelona otherwise have a full squad available for this match, while there is another spot in the selection for teenage forward Angel Alarcon.

During his pre-match press conference, the Catalan club's head coach Xavi picked out Yellow Submarine duo Dani Parejo and Pepe Reina when discussing Villarreal's threat this weekend.

"Villarreal are a great team with a philosophy very similar to ours. Parejo is an extraordinary player and Pepe Reina is very good with his feet," he told reporters.

Xavi also insisted that he is not prioritising La Liga over the Europa League, as Barcelona prepare to welcome Manchester United for the first leg of their knockout round playoff next Thursday.

FC Barcelona coach Xavi reacts on January 8, 2023© Reuters

"I don't prioritise La Liga over the Europa League. We want to win every game and we give the same importance to all competitions," the head coach added.

Xavi, meanwhile, refused to give any indication of his formation on Sunday evening, with the Spaniard needing to bring in a replacement for the injured Busquets.

"I never explain the team's ideas in advance but we will decide tomorrow. Busquets's loss is important, we will miss him especially when it's time to pause," said the Spaniard.

Barcelona will be bidding to make it 11 straight wins in all competitions on Sunday night.

Barcelona squad vs. Villarreal:

Ter Stegen, Pena, Tenas; Araujo, Christensen, Alonso, Alba, Roberto, Kounde, E Garcia, Balde; Gavi, Pedri, Kessie, F de Jong, Torre; Lewandowski, Fati, F Torres, Raphinha, Alarcon

ID:506474:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect3800:No Data Analysis info

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How you voted: Villarreal vs Barcelona

Villarreal
10.6%
Draw
10.1%
Barcelona
79.3%
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona12110140112933
2Real Madrid1173121111024
3Atletico MadridAtletico126511871123
4Villarreal116322019121
5Osasuna126331716121
6Athletic Bilbao125431812619
7Real BetisBetis125431210219
8Mallorca12534109118
9Rayo Vallecano114431210216
10Celta Vigo125161820-216
11Real Sociedad124351010015
12GironaGirona124351517-215
13Sevilla124351217-515
14AlavesAlaves124171419-513
15Leganes122551216-411
16Getafe12174810-210
17Espanyol123181122-1110
18Las PalmasLas Palmas122371321-89
19Real ValladolidValladolid12228924-158
20Valencia11146817-97


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