Barcelona manager Luis Enrique will have to get very creative in fielding a competitive starting XI when Barcelona face Sevilla at the always hostile Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday.
Given the absences of Andres Iniesta, Rafinha, Thomas Vermaelen, Adriano and quadruple Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, the Asturian only has 14 outfield first-team players to choose from — with the vast majority of them scheduled to play their third game in the space of seven days on Saturday.
As a result of the Catalans’ unforgiving schedule and horrendous luck with injuries so far, Enrique has been forced to call up as many as six Barca B players in order to prepare for Sevilla. Although it is unlikely that all of Gerard Gumbau, Sergi Samper, David Babunski, Robert Costa, Juan Camara and Aitor Cantalapiedra will make it on the plane to the Andalusian capital, at least they were given a chance to prove their worth with the first team squad — well, what is left it.
