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Barcelona will be without Ousmane Dembele for Thursday’s La Liga clash with Getafe at the Camp Nou. The Frenchman has been left out of coach Ronald Koeman’s 23-man matchday squad because of injury.
The squad for #BarçaGetafe!
Dembele joins Philippe Coutinho, Ansu Fati, Neto, and Martin Braithwaite on the injured list. Braithwaite was ruled out earlier this week after suffering a sprained ankle during a training session.
Barcelona offered the following update on Dembele via the club’s official website.
“Ousmane Dembélé is a late withdrawal from the squad with a pelvis problem, with his future availability depending on his recovery.”
The injury has reportedly been bothering Dembele for a little while. The Frenchman has been a regular this season but was left out of the starting XI for the Copa del Rey final last time out and only featured as a very late substitute. Barca has not offered any indication yet of how long Dembele will be out for or the severity of the injury.
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Chance For Trincao and Konrad?
Dembele’s absence means Koeman is likely to continue with Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann in attack. Both players were on target last time out in the Copa del Rey win over Getafe.
Yet there could also be an opportunity for fringe players such as Francisco Trincao and Konrad de la Fuente to gain some first-team minutes off the bench in Thursday’s match with attackers Dembele, Fati, Coutinho and Braithwaite all sidelined.
Konrad has been called up to the squad from Barca B, while Trincao is once again on the list and will hope for another chance to impress. The summer signing to make an impact at the Camp Nou. He has featured 24 times in La Liga this season but once twice as a starter.
Koeman’s switch to a 3-5-2 formation system has not helped Trincao’s cause and his exit this summer is currently being considered as a “real option” for the Catalan giants, according to Diario Sport.
Barca Playing Catch-Up
The Barcelona players head into Thursday’s match knowing they will win La Liga if they win their last eight matches but there is work to do. The Catalan giants dropped into fourth place in the table on Wednesday after wins for Real Madrid and Sevilla.
Koeman’s side may also be eight points off the top by kick-off if Atletico Madrid beat struggling Huesca in the earlier kick-off. However, a win for Barca would move the team back into third place, two points behind Real Madrid but with a game in hand.
However, it promises to be a tough game against a committed Getafe side who won the return 1-0 in October. Jose Bordalas’s men have also picked up 0-0 draws with Real Madrid and Atletico recently.
Barca will also need Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong to be careful during the game. A booking for either will rule them out of Sunday’s match against an in-form Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
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