Barcelona have confirmed that Sergio Busquets will miss Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Manchester City through injury.
The midfielder damaged his ankle ligaments against Villarreal in the Copa del Rey semi-finals on March 4 and remains sidelined after not being named in the Catalans’ latest 18-man squad.
Elsewhere, Martin Montoya has been omitted from the party for ‘technical’ reasons, rather than the facial injury he sustained during Barca’s 2-0 victory over Eibar last weekend.
He joins Jordi Masip and Douglas Pereira in the wilderness, while long-term casualty Thomas Vermaelen continues to be overlooked.
Barca squad for City: Ter Stegen, Bravo; Alves, Pique, Bartra, Alba, Mathieu, Mascherano, Adriano; Iniesta, Sergi Roberto, Xavi, Rakitic, Rafinha; Pedro, Neymar, Messi, Suarez.