Barcelona trio snubbed by Valverde as squad announced for crucial Atletico Madrid showdown

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Barcelona face their biggest game of the season thus far as they host Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp on Sunday in a top-of-the-table clash.

Having been held to three draws in their last five La Liga games, the Catalan giants now have just a five-point lead over Diego Simeone’s side ahead of Sunday’s showdown.

In turn, the pressure is on for both clubs as they know that the outcome of this game could be crucial to where the league title ends up this season.

Ernesto Valverde announced his squad for the game on Saturday, and Sky Sports pundit and Spanish football expert was also quick to notice that three names in particular were missing from the group that was called-up.

Aleix Vidal, Yerry Mina and Denis Suarez will play no part in the game, which will undoubtedly continue to raise question marks over the futures of Vidal and Suarez in particular as they have both struggled to make an impression this season and have suffered with a lack of playing time.

Vidal, 28, has made 21 appearances this season, most of which have been off the bench, while Suarez has fared worse with just 18 outings.

As for Mina, following on from his January switch to the Nou Camp, perhaps the call has been made that this is too big an occasion for him as he is still settling and his lack of experience could prove costly if he is required.

Based on the reaction from supporters below, it appears as though the snub of Suarez is the one that has angered them most, as many were keen to see the 24-year-old involved in some capacity and have raised their concerns over his future at Barcelona as he continues to struggle.

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