Barcelona handed boost as key Benfica duo ruled out of UCL tie | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have a crucial match awaiting them on Wednesday as they face Benfica in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. The first leg of this tie is set to be played at the Estadio da Luz and promises to be a very exciting match.

The two teams have already faced one another in this edition of the UCL, as they fought out a highly entertaining game in the League Phase, which the Blaugranes were ultimately able to win 4-5.

The Portuguese side will again be looking to put up a stern test for the Catalans tomorrow, but their task will not really be easy, as they will have some of their key players missing.

As Fabrizio Romano has reported, Angel Di Maria, who suffered a muscle injury in his left thigh during the first leg of the playoff match against Monaco, and Florentino Luis, who is still recovering from a muscle injury, will miss the upcoming clash against Barcelona.

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Although the Argentine winger has resumed training with his teammates, it’s highly unlikely he’ll regain peak condition in time for the match against Barcelona on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder has yet to fully recover from his injury and will also be unable to travel with the squad to face La Blaugrana.

As the duo’s absence from the squad for this game is almost confirmed, they will join other players like Bah, Renato Sanches, Manu Silva, and Tiago Gouveia, all of whom have already been ruled out for the game against the Catalan side.

Meanwhile, the Blaugranes will have most of their players available, with the long-term absentees Marc Andre Ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, and Andreas Christensen unavailable due to injuries, while Gavi, who is suffering from fever, is also doubtful for this clash.