Life without Lionel Messi begins for Barcelona this afternoon as he is one of five players dropped against Sporting Gijon, who start without Douglas.
Luis Enrique makes full use of his newly-replenished squad at El Molinon as defenders Jeremy Mathieu and Lucas Digne replace Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba, both of whom are benched.
In midfield, Sergio Busquets overcomes the flu to anchor the incoming Andre Gomes and Rafinha, with Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic, while Arda Turan gets the nod over Denis Suarez and Paco Alcacer to replace Messi.
Sporting, meanwhile, name Douglas as a substitute, the Brazilian seemingly shaking off the buttock injury he incurred by sleeping in an awkward position on the team bus.
Sporting Gijon: Cuellar; Lora, Mere, Amorebieta, Lillo; Cases, Sergio; Burgui, Victor, Moi; Cop
Subs: Douglas, Babin, Ait-Atmane, Castro, Marino, N’Di, Viguera
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi, Pique, Mathieu, Digne; Gomes, Busquets, Rafinha; Arda, Suarez, Neymar
Subs: Rakitic, Denis, Iniesta, Cillessen, Mascherano, Alcacer, Alba
Referee: Del Cerro Grande
