Getty Barcelona forward Lionel Messi
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has named a 21-man squad for Wednesday’s Champions League tie against Juventus in Turin.
The Dutch coach is without center-back Gerard Pique due to suspension, while Philippe Coutinho misses out after picking up a hamstring problem.
Here’s the full squad list:
👥 SQUAD LIST
🆑 #JuveBarça
Barcelona heads into the match after a disappointing defeat to bitter rivals Real Madrid in El Clasico. The Catalan giants were beaten 3-1 at the Camp Nou which leaves the team with just seven points from their opening five games.
Follow the Heavy on Barcelona Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Barca Still Raging After Clasico Defeat
Koeman was left angered by the VAR decision to award a penalty to Real Madrid for a shirt pull by Clement Lenglet. The Dutch coach hit out after the match, while the club has since issued a statement expressing their dissatisfaction at the technology.
The Board considers that, in the cases of identical or very similar game situations, VAR has not upheld the essential criteria of ethics and fairness, which has had a serious negative impact on FC Barcelona and has benefitted its most direct opponents.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu also discussed the issue during a press conference on Monday. He responded to a report by Catalan daily Sport that the referee had been informed by his assistant it should not have been a penalty because Ramos fouled Lenglet first, as reported by Marca.
Just now when I was coming into the press conference I was informed that there are audio recordings of a lineman talking with the referee in Barcelona’s game against Real Madrid.
We are going to analyse it. We have been requesting another verification of the VAR criteria for some time and we are calling for a joint reflection by the professional teams. As Koeman says, it cannot be one way in some games and in another way in others.
Yet Barca must move on from Saturday’s disappointment and focus on a testing Champions League encounter. The team enjoyed a comfortable 5-1 win over Ferencvaros in their opening group game but will expect a much tougher test against the Italian champions.
Barca Team News
Koeman will have to make changes to his starting XI for the game against Juventus due to the absences of Pique and Coutinho. Ronald Araujo is expected to replace Pique at center-back and will partner Clement Lenglet.
The 21-year-old only made his Champions League debut as a substitute against Ferencvaros last time out but is highly regarded. Barca wants to extend his contract until 2026 as reward for the way he’s risen through the ranks at the club, according to Marca.
Koeman has no other recognised center-backs in his 21-man squad so will be short of options if either player Araujo or Lenglet pick up an injury. Midfielders Sergio Busquets or Frenkie de Jong could feature as emergency defenders if required.
Koeman must also tweak his attack with Coutinho out and has a variety of options from which to choose. World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann could be recalled to the team after dropping out of the starting XI for Barca’s last two games.
Captain Lionel Messi and 17-year-old starlet Ansu Fati are expected to start, while Koeman must decide who will complete his attack. Ousmane Dembele, Francisco Trincao, Martin Braithwaite, and Pedri are all available for selection.
READ NEXT: Barcelona’s Problems Piling Up Ahead of Juventus UCL Clash