Barcelona missing eight first-team players for Osasuna clash

The Catalan outfit will be bidding to bounce back from Saturday's 5-3 home defeat to Villarreal when they continue their league campaign against Jagoba Arrasate's side.

However, Xavi, who announced last weekend that he would be standing down as head coach this summer, will be unable to call upon eight players for the contest.

Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Marcos Alonso, Raphinha, Inigo Martinez, Joao Felix, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Sergi Roberto are all unavailable for selection due to fitness problems.

Felix is the latest Barcelona player to pick up an injury, with the Portugal international suffering an ankle issue during Tuesday morning's training session, and he is expected to be missing for the next month.

Unai Hernandez has benefited from the absences to earn a call-up, while there are again spots in the squad for Marc Casado, Pau Cubarsi and Hector Fort.

Xavi has only been able to name four forwards due to the injury situation, with recent arrival Vitor Roque selected alongside 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

Barcelona have recently suffered disappointment in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey, but they are still fighting for two trophies this season in the shape of La Liga and the Champions League.

The Catalan outfit are down in fourth position in the La Liga table, 11 points behind division leaders Girona, who have played a game more than the reigning champions.

"Osasuna are a rock defensively. They score a lot of goals. Tomorrow (Wednesday) it will cost us and we have to be united," Xavi said during Tuesday's pre-match press conference.

"We have to defend better and attack better. That causes the performance of many players to progressively fall. We have to be self-critical. Be at the level.

"We have to counter 11 points to Girona. But we have the Champions League. We are excited and we have to compete."

Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-0 when the pair met in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup earlier this month, while they have been victorious in the last four league meetings between the two sides, including a 2-1 success in the reverse contest last September.

Barcelona squad vs. Osasuna:

Pena, Astralaga, Kochen; Araujo, Cancelo, Christensen, Kounde, Cubarsi, Fort; U Hernandez, Pedri, F Lopez, Romeu, F de Jong, Gundogan, Casado; F Torres, Lewandowski, Roque, Yamal