Koeman to pick a side against Alaves with Paris Saint-Germain in mind
Junior, Riqui Puig and Trincao could all come into the XI at Camp Nou this weekend
It's not that Ronald Koeman has a wealth of options but he doesn't have any other choice. The Dutch coach will give a rest to several regulars against Alaves with the hope of keeping them fresh for Tuesday's Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain.
Koeman doesn't have a lot to pick from, though. There's a good chance Riqui Puig comes into the side to afford a rest to either Pedri or Frenkie de Jong, who have both played a lot of minutes in 2021. It remains to be seen which one of them will be given a break, though.
Francisco Trincao is another player likely to get a start. As with De Jong and Pedri, the question is who will rest to allow the Portuguese forward into the side: Antoine Griezmann or Ousmane Dembele? His injury history suggests Dembele could be on the bench in reserve for PSG.
It's not ruled out that Konrad gets a chance, too, in place of Griezmann, with Martin Braithwaite still out injured.
La previa del FC Barcelona - Deportivo Alavés de este sábado en el Camp Nou
| SPORTJordi Alba or Junior
In defence, it's even tougher to make changes due to the injuries to key players. However, someone like Jordi Alba, who has played a lot, may be rested. He has a backup in Junior Firpo.
Elsewhere, Clement Lenglet, who was surprisingly on the bench in the Copa del Rey against Sevilla in midweek, is almost certain to return to the team. Who will accompany him? Mingueza, Umtiti or De Jong?
NEW FC BARCELONA PODCAST IN ENGLISH
Topics with the letter
