Official: Barcelona starting lineup against Osasuna

Xavi has been forced to make several changes to this starting lineup ahead of their trip to Estadio El Sadar in Pamplona. The goal is to take all three points against Osasuna, while the hosts try to leapfrog Barcelona in the league standings.

The most surprising of these changes has come in the defence, as Samuel Umtiti gets a start. He is joined by Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo in the three-man backline, while Clement Lenglet and Eric Garcia see the light of the bench.

Ahead of the defence, the midfield will be anchored by the one and only Sergio Busquets. Frenkie de Jong and Nico Gonzalez are flanking him in what we can assume to be a midfield quartet. Gavi will act as the spearhead, sitting behind the attacking trident.

? BARÇA XI! ?#OsasunaBarça pic.twitter.com/FB2lHIyjGw

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 12, 2021

Finally, in the absence of Memphis Depay and Ansu Fati, the Barcelona attack consists of Ousmane Dembele – presumably on the left, Ez Abde – on the right, and against all odds, Luuk de Jong through the centre. Yusuf Demir and Sergino Dest are benched and could see some minutes off the bench.

Confirmed Barça XI: ter Stegen; Araujo, Pique, Umtiti; Nico, Busquets, de Jong; Gavi; Dembele, Luuk, Abde