Barcelona announce squad for Rayo Vallecano including shock absence

Barcelona’s much-awaited return to action is just hours away, as the Blaugrana take on Rayo Vallecano at 21:00 CEST this evening. On Saturday morning they announced their squad list for the match, with several surprises.

The likes of Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto were all included after being registered on Friday. Jules Kounde has not been registered, but is believed to be suffering from discomfort at any rate.

Discarded players Samuel Umtiti and Martin Braithwaite have also been left out, as has Sergino Dest. Although Sergi Roberto is most likely-regarded as a right-back these days, Dest is the only natural right-back at Barcelona and was expected to compete for at least a rotational position this season. However his absence makes it plain that Xavi Hernandez does not consider him an option to start.

🚨 SQUAD LIST 🚨#BarçaRayo pic.twitter.com/mO0UxcrsUt

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 13, 2022

Inaki Pena and Gavi have still not been registered as first-team players yet and remain in the squad as B team players, despite the fact they are expected to be promoted to the first team.

That is also the case for Alejandro Balde, while Ez Abde misses out too.