Another round of UEFA Champions League group stage play is imminent, and with it you have a headliner fixture of FC Barcelona visiting Inter Milan. Both teams enter the match badly in need of a result, as they each sit three points behind group leaders Bayern Munich.
It’s two very storied clubs here, both overflowing with talent, but also at the same time missing a lot of that talent due to injuries. Let’s run through it all right now.
FC Barcelona at Inter Milan UCL Group Stage FYIs
Kickoff: Tue Oct 4, 8pm, San Siro
Starting XI Predictions: go here
After Extra Time Pod: Spotify Apple
UCL Group F Standings: Barcelona 2nd, 3pts Inter 3rd, 3 pts
UCL Group F Form: Barcelona LW Inter WL
Google Result Probability: Barcelona 53% Inter 23% Draw 24%
Team News for Both Sides
Let’s start with the Catalan Club, where midfield maestro Frenkie de Jong will miss out after having picked up an injury with The Netherlands this past international break. The Manchester United transfer target (who recently opened up to the media about what happened with that in the summer transfer window recently) has company in the training room, with countryman Memphis Depay and highly publicized Chelsea transfer target Jules Kounde also having gotten hurt during the internationals.
Meanwhile Hector Bellerin remains sidelined while Ronald Araujo is out for the season.
Switching over to the hosts, they will be without their midfield maestro as well, with Marcelo Brozovic out, due to a thigh injury suffered during internationals.
Is it any wonder why club supporters hate international breaks so much? Can you blame them?
Romelu Lukaku is nearing full fitness, but this match comes too soon for Big Rom.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.