The FC Barcelona travel squad, for tomorrow’s Champions League group stage match at Club Brugge, came out a few hours ago and it is quite newsworthy. Pau Cubarsi is back available again, but Andreas Christensen (still suffering muscular discomfort) is not. It had been thought that latter could potentially pass a fitness test that would have landed him a spot in the squad. Raphinha remains out, and with manager Hansi Flick recently lamented how much he misses the Brazilian forward.
“I miss Raphinha because he was very important last season,” Flick said recently. “When he’s playing on this level, he is great for us. So of course I miss him.”
✈️ ¡La convocatoria para viajar a Brujas! pic.twitter.com/fjmjiW12vJ
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) November 4, 2025
Champions League Match Day 4 of 8 FYIs
Club Brugge vs FC Barcelona
Kickoff: Wed. Nov. 5, 8pm, Jan Breydel Stadium, Brugge, Belgium
UCL Group Phase Standing, Form: Club Brugge 20th, 7 pts, WLL Borussia Dortmund 9th, 6 pts WLW
Barca Team News
Raphinha, who finished fifth in the Ballon d’Or in September, has missed the last seven matches, due to a hamstring injury. But he was in the headlines today for a completely different reason. He was snubbed by the FIFFPRO team of the year (an award that is voted on by a poll of over 20,000 professional footballers). He did not take it very well, as he went on his Instagram, and made 15 posts about it on Tuesday.
All of these posts highlight his accomplishments from last season. You know he does have a point!
In addition to Raphinha and Christensen, Ter Stegen, Joan Garcia, Gavi and Pedri remain sidelined.
Due to time constraints, with less lead time remaining until kickoff, the FC Barcelona Predicted Starting XI will not be produced for this match.
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. 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.