For FC Barcelona, the season-long injury crisis has recently eased up significantly. It continues to ease this week with Ronald Araujo and Ansu Fati (both of which have recovered from hamstring injuries) having now returned to training. Both could be in contention to feature at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. However, one should also not be surprised, if we don’t see Araujo or Fati feature in midweek.
Their comebacks may have to wait until the weekend, or next week.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 6 of 8
FC Barcelona at Borussia Dortmund
Kickoff: Wed. Dec. 11, 8pm, Signal Iduna Park Dortmund, Germany
Preview Content for Both Sides: Starting XI Predictions Team News
UCL Standing, Form: FC Barcelona, 12 pts, 3rd, LWWWW Borussia Dortmund 34th, 12 pts, WWLWW
Team News for Both Sides
Elsewhere Marc Bernal (ACL) and Marc-Andre ter Stegen (patellar tendon rupture) are of course done for the season while Andreas Christensen (Achilles) should be back in the New Year. Shifting gears to the hosts, Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi will both need to face late fitness tests if they are indeed to be passed to feature here.
Meanwhile American Gio Reyna is back in the mix, but still hasn’t been fully re-integrated into the flow of things. It is very, very doubtful that he features here. Elsewhere Nikas Sule (ankle knock) is now new to the BVB infirmary; ditto for Maximilian Beier (unspecified).
The pair sustained injuries in the score draw battle of the Borussias, over the weekend.
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.