Barcelona face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday night and coach Ernesto Valverde could receive a huge injury boost.
The Catalan giants saw off Leganes at the weekend in a 2-1 win to keep them top of the La Liga table, albeit rivals Real Madrid remain level on points.
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However, things also remain finely poised in Group F in the Champions League, as the reigning Spanish champions sit top but just a point above Dortmund, with Inter four points adrift with two games remaining.
In turn, Valverde will know the importance of this week’s encounter, not only in terms of qualifying for the next stage but also to secure top spot.
With that in mind, he’ll be delighted to receive positive news on Clement Lenglet, as Mundo Deportivo report that the Frenchman returned to training on Monday and is expected to recover from a knock which ruled him out at the weekend to start against Dortmund.
It’s a timely boost considering the report goes on to add that both Jordi Alba and Nelson Semedo are expected to miss out which is more than enough of a defensive headache for Barcelona to cope with.
Further, Mundo Deportivo note that Gerard Pique is also set to sit out due to suspension, and so given the lack of quality depth that Barcelona have in that department, Lenglet’s return will allow them to breathe a sigh of relief as it gives Valverde another experienced and established option.
While the report does paint a very positive picture in terms of his availability, time will tell if he has officially been named in the squad to put him in contention to feature, with Barcelona likely to make that call on Tuesday ahead of the game on Wednesday night.