According to a recent report by Marca, Barcelona are finally close to having a fully fit squad heading into their trip to Eibar this weekend. The same source has claimed that Samuel Umtiti, Carles Perez and Junior Firpo should all be fit to make their returns against José Luis Mendilibar’s men on Saturday afternoon.
Barcelona Close To Having A Fully Fit Squad
It seems like the international break was a welcome distraction for the Catalan giants as it gave a chance for their injured players to recover and be ready in time for some first-team action in the coming weeks. One of the mains reasons for Barca’s recent misfortunes has been injuries to some of their key players like Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele.
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has found it challenging to secure a string of positive results this season which has put his future at the Nou Camp under the spotlight. However, now that the likes of Umtiti, Perez and Firpo are back and available for selection, Valverde will have no excuses, so it will be ‘make it or break it’ period of his managerial tenure.
The expectations at the Nou Camp are ever-growing, so it will still be a difficult feat to turn things around for the better. The club’s loyal supporters expect UEFA Champions League success this season after their disastrous 4-0 collapse against Liverpool at Anfield in the previous campaign. Valverde will be judged on his team’s performance in Europe this term.
Will Valverde’s Plans Will Be Impacted By The Return Of The Injured Trio?
Umtiti is a reliable presence at the back, so he will be a worthy deputy to Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet. Firpo can also provide cover for Nelson Semedo and Jordi Alba for the left-back position. However, Perez is still quite a raw talent and would find game time limited now that Messi is fit and firing on all cylinders for the Spanish champions.
At the same time, the Spanish winger has netted one goal and grabbed three assists in six appearances for Barca this season. Therefore, Valverde could still keep Perez near his first-team with fixtures coming thick and fast after the international break.
Time For The Barca Boss To Make A Title Push?
The Catalan giants are currently trailing their arch-rivals Real Madrid by two points in the La Liga standings. However, with the two clubs set to clash heads at the Nou Camp later this month, we can expect quite a few twists and turns in the title race over the next few weeks. It’s high time that Valverde got some positive results out of his players especially now that he has fully fit squad to choose from at the Catalan club.
