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Sunday, September 22

La Liga

Barcelona

Sep 21, 2019 at 8pm UK
Granada
2-0
Barcelona
Azeez (2'), Vadillo (66' pen.)
FT(HT: 1-0)

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How Barcelona could line up against Granada

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Sports Mole looks at how Barcelona could line up in Saturday night's La Liga clash with Granada.
By , European Football Editor | 3d

Barcelona will switch their attention back to La Liga this weekend as the Spanish champions prepare to travel to the Nuevo Estadio de Los Carmenes to face Granada.

Ernesto Valverde's side opened their 2019-20 Champions League campaign with a welcome point away to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.

The Spanish champions beat Valencia 5-2 on home soil in the league last weekend, and they will enter this game in fifth position in Spain's top flight.

Indeed, Barca have won two, drawn one and lost one of their four fixtures this term to collect seven points - boasting an identical record to Granada ahead of this weekend's contest.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the Catalan giants could line up in the league fixture.



Out: Ousmane Dembele (hamstring), Samuel Umtiti (foot), Jordi Alba (hamstring)

Barca's most recent injury problem concerns Jordi Alba, who picked up a hamstring problem during Tuesday's clash with Dortmund. The Spaniard will therefore be unavailable this weekend, which should open the door for summer arrival Junior Firpo to start on the left side of the defence.

Samuel Umtiti is also out until the end of October with a foot injury, while Ousmane Dembele will again miss out despite making good progress in his recovery from a hamstring problem.

Lionel Messi played his first minutes of the season as a second-half substitute against Dortmund, and it seems likely that the Argentina international will come into the starting XI this weekend.

Luis Suarez has also now featured in the last two after a calf problem of his own, and Valverde might have the chance to send his first-choice front three - Messi, Suarez and Antoine Griezmann - onto the field from the onset for the first time.

Alba's absence means that the back five picks itself, but there remains uncertainty surrounding Valverde's midfield selection as a number of players battle for the three positions.

Arthur and Frenkie de Jong joined Sergio Busquets in the middle of the park against Dortmund, but Sergi Roberto, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal are all pushing to be involved against Granada.

It seems likely that Valverde could decide to freshen his midfield with the introduction of Roberto; Rakitic, though, is yet to start a game this season after a summer of speculation surrounding his future.

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