Barcelona announce squad to face United
Barcelona have announced a 22-man squad for their home leg of the Europa League play-off against Manchester United.
Other ex-Premier League names in the squad include the Brazilian winger Raphinha, who was acquired from Leeds United last summer, and young forward Ferran Torres, who spent the 2020/21 season with Manchester City before moving on to Barcelona in the following winter transfer window.
🚨 The squad for #BarçaMUFC! pic.twitter.com/tDj1M4Bpf6
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 15, 2023
As previously expected, key midfielders Sergio Busquets and Ousmane Dembele are both notably absent from Barcelona's list.
Busquets, who has spent his entire career with Barcelona and played against United in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals, is ruled out due to the ankle injury he suffered after just eight minutes of the 3-0 home victory over Sevilla earlier this month. He was replaced in that game by Franck Kessie, the Ivory Coast international signed from AC Milan last summer.
Meanwhile, France international Dembele has been sidelined since sustaining a thigh problem during Barcelona's 1-0 away win over Girona on 28 January.
Goalkeepers: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Arnau Tenas, Inaki Pena
Defenders: Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Marcos Alonso, Jordi Alba, Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde
Midfielders: Pedri, Franck Kessie, Sergi Roberto, Frenkie De Jong, Marc Casado, Gavi, Pablo Torre
Forwards: Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, Raphinha, Angel Alarcon.
The Reds' travelling squad for the first leg will be published on ManUtd.com and in the United App later this afternoon, ahead of Erik ten Hag's pre-match press conference which you can watch live from 17:45 GMT across club media.