Andreas Christensen has suffered a new injury setback, after having just returned to full fitness. The defender has a calf problem, with FC Barcelona having confirmed that he’ll be out until April sometime. Christensen is the only situation that has changed for the Blaugranes, injury wise.
So with that said, we’ll move on to Benfica, where there are a lot of absences to cover.
FC Barcelona vs Benfica FYIs
Competition: UEFA Champions League round of 16, Leg 2/2
Aggregate: Barcelona leads 1-0
Preview Material for Both Sides: Team News Starting XI Predictions
Kickoff: Tue. March 11, 5:45pm, Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Google Result Probability: FC Barcelona 72% Extra Time 15% Benfica 13%
Team News
Angel Di Maria, a midfield maestro who has played for several of the biggest clubs in the world, including Barca’s El Clasico rivals Real Madrid, will miss out here due to injury. Tomas Araujo is a doubt while Alvaro Carreras is suspended because of yellow card accumulation.
Meanwhile Bruma, who was acquired in the January transfer window, is ineligible due to not having been registered with UEFA in time for the knockout round.
Finally, Manu Silva, Alexander Bah and Tiago Gouveia remain sidelined as longer-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.