Barcelona take on Athletic Bilbao on Sunday afternoon, and Ernesto Valverde’s squad for the encounter has been announced by the club.
The Catalan giants remain top of the pile in La Liga with an eight-point lead over nearest rivals Atletico Madrid with just 10 games remaining in the campaign.
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Coupled with their Copa del Rey final date and having advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, it’s been a good season to this point for Valverde and his men.
They’ll be looking to keep that going this weekend as they remain unbeaten in the league this year and have won three of their last four games in all competitions.
As seen below, there were some noticeable absentees from the squad to face Bilbao, with Luis Suarez and Thomas Vermaelen not included due to suspension and injury respectively.
However, there was one inclusion in the squad that made many fans happy, and that was starlet Carles Alena getting the nod with the 20-year-old hoping to get his first La Liga run out of the campaign having made three appearances in the Copa del Rey previously this season.
It comes amid reports that Lionel Messi wants the talented youngster to be considered as a long-term replacement for Andres Iniesta moving forward, as noted by Don Balon, and so it remains to be seen whether or not he gets a chance to impress this weekend.
Judging from the comments left below, many supporters were delighted to see him called up, and are hopeful that they will see him get some playing time.
THIS JUST IN: Valverde’s 18!
? #BarçaAthletic
?? #ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/SdMaRz82my— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 17, 2018
suspended
— ahmad azhariii? (@ahmadoooxx) March 17, 2018
Yes. Ankle problem
— ????? (@culiraj) March 17, 2018
Alena!??
— Martin (@the_BlueMist) March 17, 2018
PLEASE PLAY ALENA. EVEN IF IT’s SECOND HALF
— Leo (@_97Lee) March 17, 2018
Aleña to start please?
— Tejas H.? (@tejasharita) March 17, 2018
Just play Alena tomorrow
— Madhav Shrestha (@1MadhavShrestha) March 17, 2018
Finally Alena ????
— Sathish Tadaka (@Sathish_Cule) March 17, 2018
I want see ALENA
— mpu (@mpu87969743) March 17, 2018