Barcelona missing eight players for Granada clash

Barcelona will be without the services of eight players for Sunday's La Liga clash with Granada, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Raphinha have returned to the squad.

Ferran Torres, Joao Felix, Sergi Roberto, Alejandro Balde, Marcos Alonso, Oriol Romeu and Gavi are missing due to injury problems, while Vitor Roque is suspended following his red card against Alaves last time out.

There is a huge double boost for the Catalan outfit, though, with Ter Stegen recovering from a back operation, while Raphinha is available again after working his way back from a thigh issue.

Ter Stegen has not played for Barcelona since November, having suffered a back injury while on international duty with Germany, which required an operation.

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Raphinha, meanwhile, has not featured for the Catalan outfit since January 11, having suffered a thigh problem during the Spanish Super Cup semi-final with Osasuna.

The return of Ter Stegen is a monumental boost for the team, while Raphinha has also been an important player this term, scoring four goals and registering seven assists in 20 appearances.

Pau Cubarsi and Hector Fort have been regulars in the squad of late, with the pair benefitting from the defensive absences, and they are again selected.

Meanwhile, Marc Casado, Pau Victor and Marc Guiu have also received first-team call-ups for a Barcelona side looking for a third straight victory in Spain's top flight.

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"Raphinha will be available tomorrow. He has made a very good recovery, he is positive. We see him training and being with the same dynamics that he had before the injury and it will help us a lot," Xavi told reporters during his press conference when confirming Raphinha's return.

The Barcelona head coach also insisted that Raphinha's return will not harm the progress of 16-year-old Lamine Yamal.

"Yes, they are compatible, they can both play inside [and outside]. Rafa's recovery is very good news, it is true that Lamine has accumulated a lot of minutes, but this long week has been good for arriving fresher," he added.

Barcelona are currently third in the La Liga table, six points behind second-placed Girona and 11 from the leaders Real Madrid.

Barcelona squad vs. Granada:

Ter Stegen, Pena, Kochen; Cancelo, Araujo, I Martinez, Christensen, Kounde, Cubarsi, Fort; Pedri, F Lopez, De Jong, Gundogan, Casado; Lewandowski, Raphinha, Yamal, Victor, Guiu