Barcelona had initially planned to leave Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan and Ronald Araujo in Catalonia for their final Champions League group game against Royal Antwerp, but three of them have been added back in at the last minute.
There is little riding on the match for Barcelona. Only a defeat to Antwerp, and a Shakhtar Donetsk victory over Porto combined with a seven-goal swing would result in the Blaugrana losing top spot in the group. With Barcelona trying to ensure they do not lose any more of their key players to injury.
⚠️ Changes to the squad
✈️ #AntwerpBarça pic.twitter.com/e78SitB687
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 12, 2023
However a change in logistics has forced the club to spend a second night in Belgium before returning to Barcelona. Hence Araujo, Lewandowski, de Jong and Gundogan would have spent three days training individually rather than with the team, something which moved Xavi Hernandez to call them up. as per Sport. De Jong is the only one who will remain in Barcelona, as he tries to get over a fever.
Xavi will no doubt be keen to work on Barcelona’s defending as a collective, having been exposed in such dramatic fashion by Girona. With Lewandowski now 35, and Joao Felix never having shown an ability to press on a consistent basis, there’s plenty for Xavi to consider.
