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Ronald Koeman has welcomed Lionel Messi, Frenkie de Jong, and Sergio Busquets back to his Barcelona squad for Sunday’s La Liga clash with Osasuna at the Camp Nou.
💪 The squad list for #BarçaOsasuna
Messi and De Jong return after being rested for the midweek trip to Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League. Busquets has been passed fit after suffering a knee injury while on international duty with Spain.
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Koeman Offers Dest Update
Sergino Dest is also included in the matchday squad despite picking up a minor muscular injury. Koeman offered an update on the 20-year-old in his news conference but admitted he may have to sit out the match too.
Dest trained well today, but tomorrow we know for sure. Today we’ve talked about who will play there if Dest can’t play. It isn’t serious because he did the session today. But he came back really tired after Kiev and had some problems in his leg. We need to make a decision and we are not willing to take risks with him because we know in his position at the minute there are injuries. If he’s OK he will start, if we have doubts he won’t.
Koeman also confirmed he would wait until Sunday to check on Busquets’s fitness for the match. The midfielder has missed Barca’s last two matches with knee trouble but is another player who may not be risked.
Messi and De Jong Raring to Go
Barcelona’s injury problems means they will definitely be without Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto, and Ansu Fati for Sunday’s match, but they should at least have two players raring to go in the shape of Messi and De Jong.
The duo have had a hectic start to the season but were handed a rest in midweek, and Koeman says both players are fresh and in good shape ahead of Sunday’s match.
They have had a good rest, both of them have played the most minutes on this team as well as national team matches. We decided to leave them at home because we don’t want to risk injuries. They can come back fresh with energy tomorrow. We need them
Barcelona certainly need a win after suffering their third defeat in eight La Liga games last time out in the league against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium that has left them down in 13th place in the table.
Koeman’s men will be favorites to claim all three points against Osasuna but will also be a little wary of Sunday’s opponents. Los Rojillos claimed a shock 2-1 victory on their last visit to the Camp Nou in July despite being reduced to 10-men in the second half.
Roberto Torres scored a stoppage-time winner that saw Barca’s 30-match unbeaten home run come to an end and saw captain Messi blast his team for being “weak” after the match, as reported by BBC Sport.
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Messi & De Jong Back in Barcelona Squad for Osasuna Match