Barcelona given massive boost as 2 key players set to return after long injury lay-offs: Reports
Barcelona have been handed a massive double injury boost as Andreas Christensen and Ousmane Dembele are reportedly set to return for their league match against Real Betis on April 29.
The Danish centre-back was injured while on international duty in March. Dembele, meanwhile, has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in a league win against Girona in January.
Pedri and Frenkie de Jong were also sidelined for an extended period but returned to action in their team's 1-0 La Liga win against Atletico Madrid on April 23. Christensen and Dembele are expected to follow suit soon, as per Diario AS, via Football-Espana.
The former Chelsea centre-back's return could allow Xavi Hernandez to field a more natural central defensive pairing. Left-back Marcos Alonso has played as a makeshift centre-back in recent games.
Dembele's return, meanwhile, is expected to oust Raphinha from the starting XI. The Brazilian winger has amassed nine goals and 10 assists in 43 games across competitions this season. But this hasn't been enough to please everyone at the club.
The former Leeds United winger has come under criticism recently for his allegedly subpar performances and poor attitude. Barcelona's 2-1 La Liga loss against Rayo Vallecano on April 26 didn't have much effect on the league table but it has disrupted their flow domestically.
They currently lead second-placed Real Madrid by 11 points with seven games remaining this season. Barring an unprecedented collapse, Barca will win their first league title since the 2018-19 campaign.
Xavi refuses to use Barcelona's big La Liga lead as excuse for Rayo Vallecano defeat
With a 11-point lead at the top in late April, some believed that complacency had kicked in at Barcelona going into their league clash against Rayo Vallecano.
Los Franjirrojos led by two goals until the 83rd minute and never looked in danger of losing the game. It was a comfortable win at home against the Catalan giants where they managed more shots on target (6) than the visitors (5).
After the game, Xavi Hernandez insisted that he doesn't want to use Barca's huge lead atop the league table as an excuse for this loss. He said, via BarcaUniversal:
"The advantage we have is important but it can’t be an excuse, we have done our homework well so far but we still have seven games left, now we have two at home that should help us to get six points and recover the competitive rhythm we had against Atlético."
Following their league clash against Real Betis, Barcelona will face Osasuna in the league at the Spotify Camp Nou on May 2.