Ken RussoBarcelona travel to England to take on Manchester United and before this key game, midfielder Sergio Busquets has returned to full fitness.
Sergio Busquets has been injured since the start of this month but he was back on the bench for the Cadiz game and will be available for Thursday’s second leg in the Europa League.
“Today, he was ready to play,” Xavi said after the Cadiz game(h/t Fomtob). “It’s good for Manchester.”
He was an unused sub in the 2-0 win at the weekend and his availability is a major boost for Xavi because Pedri picked up an injury in the first leg.
The 20-year-old suffered a hamstring injury last week so Sergio Busquets has returned at the perfect time and will come straight into the straight line up. Pedri has been a mainstay in Barca’s midfield and he’s also scored six league goals this season which is why his absence is a big blow for Xavi.
Apart from Pedri, Gavi will is also ruled out due to a suspension while Ousmane Dembele is out with a hamstring injury meaning Ansu Fati is going to come into the side as well.
Sergio Busquets is a very experienced player who has played close to 700 games for Barca so his presence will surely bring a lot of calm into the midfield. However, he is 34 years old meaning there’s also a chance that players like Fernandes and Sabitzer could overrun him.
Sergi Roberto is also available and some pundits think Xavi is not going to take a gamble with the ageing Busquets and Roberto alongside De Jong and Kessie.
Barcelona did have a pretty good outing at Camp Nou but Manchester United matched them at every step. Both the teams are very evenly matched so Xavi’s men will have to bring their A-game to Old Trafford. United have shown that they can break down Barca’s defence very easily so the primary focus for Xavi will be on strengthening the back line.
