Barcelona could reportedly be handed a timely boost as Jordi Alba is pushing to be available for the clash with Sevilla this weekend.
The Catalan giants host their rivals at the Nou Camp on Sunday night with both sides level on 13 points in the La Liga table after seven games.
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Depending on other results around them, a win this weekend could even move them to the top of the standings but time will tell who will come out on top in the game itself.
As noted by AS, Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde faced a real problem in midweek for the Champions League encounter with Inter as Junior Firpo was ruled out by a hamstring injury, joining both Alba and Samuel Umtiti in the treatment room.
That in turn resulted in Nelson Semedo being shifted over to the left side to play as a full-back on the opposite flank that he’s used to.
While that switch didn’t ultimately cost them as they secured a 2-1 win over Inter, it’s not a situation that Valverde would want to see continue bother him, and as per Sport, he could be handed a huge injury boost before the Sevilla clash.
It’s suggested that Alba isn’t being ruled out of returning to the fold as there is optimism within the club on Friday, but he must come through training on Saturday with the rest of the group to prove that is ready to feature.
Ultimately, it is noted that the likely outcome is that the Spanish international is included in the squad, but time will tell if he is fit enough to start against Sevilla.
While that would be a major boost if he could offer a more natural option in that position, the mere fact that Alba is said to be on the verge of being back in contention will be a major relief for Valverde as the injury crisis at left-back is something he would much prefer to not have to deal with.
