Official: Barcelona squad list to face Benfica

Xavi’s first game as Barcelona manager was undoubtedly motivating for both the fans and players alike. But the task to maintain the same keeps getting more demanding. Now, the focus shifts towards the UEFA Champions League, where Barcelona can go through to the Round of 16 with a win.

Ahead of the game, the squad list has been announced, featuring some surprises. Sergi Roberto has been excluded from the team despite reports stating that he would start.

Sergino Dest, however, returns. The American was expected to miss out on the squad list but has been named and is expected to feature ahead of Oscar Mingueza in the 4-3-3.

Ousmane Dembele, too, is named. However, it is very likely that the Frenchman has been rushed to fill in for the lack of forwards in the team. Any more than the cautionary amount of minutes could sideline him again.

Ansu Fati misses out, along with Ez Abde and Ilias Akhomach, both of whom cannot play tonight due to logistics.

? The squad for #BarçaBenfica! ? pic.twitter.com/XPXq86NJQk

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 23, 2021

Complete list: ter Stegen, Neto, Pena; Dest, Mingueza, Pique, Umtiti, Lenglet, Eric, Araujo, Alba, Balde; Nico, Busquets, Gavi, Puig, de Jong, Coutinho; Dembele, Memphis, Demir, Luuk