FC Barcelona will be fighting for a spot in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League when they face Newcastle United at the Spotify Camp Nou tomorrow.
The Blaugrana scraped their way to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Round of 16 last week at St James’ Park and have everything to play for tomorrow at their home.
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Ferran Torres to start?
And, according to Mundo Deportivo, Ferran Torres appears set to start for Barcelona against Newcastle United on Wednesday.
The Blaugrana trained at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper in their final preparation session this morning before hosting Newcastle tomorrow.
It was a session marked by a positive atmosphere, during which manager Hansi Flick tested what could be his starting XI against the English side.
The main novelty in the lineup trial was the presence of Ferran as the central striker. The forward did not play a single minute against Sevilla last Sunday and only appeared in the 89th minute in the first leg against Newcastle.
Ferran Torres set to start vs Newcastle. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
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Flick had opted to use Robert Lewandowski in the lineup for both matches. But it appears that Ferran might get a chance to feature from the get-go tomorrow.
If he starts, the former Valencia attacker will be well-rested and highly motivated to rediscover his scoring touch after nine matches without a goal in all competitions.
Eric Garcia also in
Another potential key change would be the return of Eric Garcia, who missed the first leg due to physical discomfort and is expected to slot in at right-back.
The versatile star was back in the squad against Sevilla but did not feature as Flick opted not to take any risks. But he seems poised to return to the starting XI vs Newcastle.
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The lineup tested by Flick included Joan Garcia in goal; a defensive line of Eric, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin and Joao Cancelo; a double pivot of Marc Bernal and Pedri; and an attacking trio of Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez and Raphinha behind Ferran up front.
It remains to be seen whether the Barcelona coach sticks with this setup or makes further adjustments before kickoff.
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