FC Barcelona are set to play the fifth game of their 2023-24 La Liga campaign tonight, as they face Real Betis at the Montjuic stadium. The Catalans under Xavi will be looking to extend their winning run which has seen them win the last three matches to keep maximum pressure on Real Madrid.
The Catalan club has already announced the squad for this game, which is mostly similar to the one that represented Barcelona in the last match before the international break. But there are some changes as well.
As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, one of these changes is the inclusion of Unai Hernandez, who has been training with the first team this week.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder from Barcelona Atletic is set to get a chance with the first team because of the injuries suffered by Pedri and Ilkay Gundogan, and Fermin Lopez’s suspension because of his red card with Barca Atletic.
Pedri has been out of action for some weeks now and will be back for Barcelona in October. Meanwhile, Gundogan suffered a bone bruise in this last international break but is in the squad for the Betis match as this injury is not too serious.
In addition to Unai Hernandez, other youngsters who have previously trained with the first team are also training under the orders of Xavi. Such players include Marc Casado, who has been with the first team squad in all the La Liga games this season, and Ander Asterlaga, who gets to the first team as Diego Kochen remains with the reserve team to face Fuenlabrada.
Real Betis are definitely not pushovers and have proven themselves to be a formidable team, which certainly makes Xavi’s decision tougher. The team will be looking to put in a good performance ahead of the upcoming Champions League fixture against the Belgian side Royal Antwerp.
