Barcelona face Ajax as Luis Suarez eyes El Clasico return
Madrid, Oct 20 (IANS) Spanish football club FC Barcelona entertain Ajax of Holland in the Champions League Tuesday, needing a win to get their European campaign back on track.
A defeat away to French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in their last European game means anything other than three points against Ajax would place coach Luis Enrique's side in jeopardy of not winning their qualifying group and thus facing a tough last 16 tie, reports Xinhua.
At the moment there is no need for concern as Barcelona's league form has been good so far, although they have rarely been tested in the domestic fixtures. Enrique will start with Lionel Messi, Neymar and perhaps Pedro Rodriguez in attack while Ivan Rakitic will also return to the side after being rested at the weekend as Barcelona beat Eibar in La Liga.
Ter Stegen could also return in goal as Enrique looks to ensure that both of his keepers enjoy competitive minutes in the opening months of the season, although Claudio Bravo has yet to concede a goal in the domestic league.
The match will also be significant as it will be the last one Luis Suarez has to watch from the sidelines before completing the four-month ban he was given by FIFA for biting Italian defender Georgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
"I felt that I had ruined my career," Suarez said Sunday adding that he expected it to ruin his dream move from Liverpool to the Catalan club. I thought Barcelona were going to step back from the transfer," the Uruguayan said, admitting that he has always been a fan of the club.
“I came here when I was 16 and I went to the see Camp Nou, to visit the shop and to take photos," he said, adding that the first boots he bought were Ronaldinho's. “I loved Barcelona because of the football they played, because my daughter was born here and now because I value the effort the club made to sign me after all that has happened."
Suarez will almost certainly make his debut next Saturday away to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
"I am ready for that but if I don't play, I will understand why. I am not going to ask the coach to play and even less so in the situation I have been in," he explained.