So many story lines to get into when Bayern Munich visits FC Barcelona, and through our four part preview series, we will touch on all of them, but for now, let’s focus on the fitness and injury situation, for both sides. Dutch midfield maestro Frenkie de Jong has returned from his long-term ankle injury, but he is yet to be involved from the jump.
Is this the game he’s starts out on the pitch at kickoff? De Jong is certainly a major difference maker.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 of 8
FC Barcelona vs Bayern Munich
Kickoff: Wed. Oct. 23, 8pm, Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Catalonia
FC Barcelona Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Bayern Munich Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
UCL Standing, Form: FC Barcelona 16th, 3 pts, -+4 GD, LW Bayern Munich 15th, 3pts, +6 GD, WL
Barcelona Team News
What about Dani Olmo? He made the matchday squad for the 5-1 thrashing of Sevilla, but did not feature. Gavi did, for the first time in 11 months, and what a wonderful moment that was! Especially so when Pedri came over to hand him the captain’s armband at the 83′. Maybe he plays more minutes here?
We know some guys who definitely will not: Ferran Torres, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ronald Araujo, Marc Bernal and Andreas Christensen.
While the Barcelona injury crisis has alleviated lately, it still remains severe.
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, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG.org. 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. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.