Predicted XIs: Under-pressure Barca to start youngster & Lewandowski call
Barcelona face a potential banana skin on Thursday evening as they travel to Unionistas de Salamanca, with kick-off scheduled for 19:30 CEST. The third division side have said they are up for the clash, and the pressure is on Barcelona to show vast improvement following an embarassing defeat to arch rivals Real Madrid.
L’Esportiu believe that young right-back Hector Fort will return to the side in a defence consisting of Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde. With Ronald Araujo suspended, those are the only three fit senior defenders.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Inigo Martinez, Marcos Alonso, Gavi, Joao Cancelo and Raphinha are all injured, while Lamine Yamal is also suspended. Most of the papers expect Unionistas to set up in a form of 4-4-2, although Marca are the only ones to predict that that former La Masia product Jordi Tur will start against his former club.
The other major question for Xavi Hernandez is whether to start Vitor Roque for the first time, after telling the press that he would have minutes. Diario AS are one of the papers that do expect the Brazilian to start the match ahead of Robert Lewandowski, but what has generated unanimous agreement is that whomever the number nine is, Ferran Torres and Joao Felix will flank them.
MD are in agreement that Fermin Lopez and Oriol Romeu will also start this evening, with the only other question being whether Frenkie de Jong or captain Sergi Roberto will begin the match alongside them.
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