Xavi set to start his strongest lineup tonight for Galatasaray vs Barcelona

Xavi Hernandez gets set for one of his most important weeks as the manager of Barcelona as he prepares his team for two vital fixtures in the space of next three days.

Barça will square off against Galatasaray in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie in Istanbul on Thursday night. After having been held to a goalless draw during the first leg at Camp Nou, Xavi & co. have their task cut out this week.

A couple of days later, the Blaugrana will be facing off against their arch-rivals Real Madrid in La Liga, in a vital El Clasico that could help the team solidify their position in the top four.

So, it promises to be a vital week for Xavi and his team, and it will certainly be worth watching to see if the manager decides to rest some of his players for the Europa League clash in order to keep them fresh for the Clasico.

However, according to the cover page of SPORT, that is unlikely to be the case, with the 42-year-old set to field his strongest lineup in the midweek encounter against Galatasaray later tonight.

The report states that Xavi will not rotate his troops for the clash against the Turkish heavyweight despite the impending El Clasico which is one of the biggest matches of the La Liga season.

Considering that Barça have little chance of winning the La Liga this term, it makes sense for the manager to go all out in the Europa League and try to end the season with a trophy.

And Galatasaray are certainly not a team to be taken lightly, especially at their home, where the atmosphere can be daunting for a visiting side. So, going in with the best and the strongest playing XI would be the right call.