Opponent watch: Benfica key duo ruled out of Barcelona clash | OneFootball

Barcelona will lock horns with SL Benfica in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie tomorrow night at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.

The Blaugrana go into the game high on confidence after making light work of Real Sociedad in La Liga over the weekend.

However, they are well aware of Benfica’s threat, having snatched victory from the jaws of defeat the last time they faced the Portuguese outfit in the league phase earlier this season.

No Di Maria, Florentino Luis for Benfica

But, as reported by Mundo Deportivo, Benfica have suffered a major setback ahead of their Champions League Round of 16 first-leg clash against Barcelona.

Manager Bruno Lage will be without two key players in his squad – Angel Di Maria and Florentino Luis, who both missed today’s training session at the club facilities in Lisbon.

No Florentino Luis for Benfica vs Barcelona. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

Di Maria suffered a muscle injury during Benfica’s Champions League knockout playoff tie against Monaco.

While he has been working hard to make a comeback, he was always in a race against time to be fit for tomorrow and has now effectively been ruled out.

Florentino, too, has been dealing with a muscle problem and has been making good progress in his recovery, but not enough to make a comeback by Wednesday.

Lage had hoped that at least one of Di Maria or Florentino could recover in time to face Barça, but both remain sidelined. Their target now is to return for the second leg on March 11 at Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys.

Di Maria and Florentino are not the only absentees. Alexander Bah and Manu Silva remain out with serious cruciate ligament injuries, while Tiago Gouveia will also miss the match against Barcelona.