Sergi Barjuán has announced Barcelona’s line-up for the Champions League match against Dynamo Kyiv. Frenkie de Jong has recovered from a hamstring injury and will start immediately in the starting line-up. Ansu Fati, Ronald Araújo and Ousmane Dembélé also return in the match selection; a basic place has been reserved for Fati. The game starts at 9 p.m. in the NSK Olimpiejsky in Kiev.
De Jong has recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for two games. The midfielder dropped out last Sunday in the lost game against Real Madrid (1-2) and then missed Rayo Vallecano (1-0 defeat) and Alavés (1-1). Fati suffered from his right knee and, like De Jong, missed the last two matches. Araújo has been sidelined in the last five official games due to a thigh injury; Dembélé played his last game for Barcelona on May 22.
Opposite the return of the foursome is the absence of Sergio Agüero and Gerard Pique. The Argentine attacker suffered from chest pain against Alavés, after which a heart rhythm disorder was discovered in hospital. Barcelona announced in an official statement on Tuesday that Aguero will certainly not be available for the next three months. Pique had to leave Alavés prematurely due to physical discomfort and is not yet fit enough. Pedri, Sergi Roberto and Martin Braithwaite had been in the infirmary for some time los Azulgrana.
Sergiño Dest starts on the bench. The winger has started in his club’s last ten official games and has been at the forefront several times in recent weeks. However, that consists of Fati, Memphis Depay and Gavi on Tuesday evening. Luuk de Jong can hope for a substitute. Barcelona is on the hunt for the second victory in Group E, having only won the home game against Dynamo Kiev (1-0) so far.
Lineup Dynamo Kyiv: Bushchan; Kedziora, Zabarnyi, Syrota, Karavaev; Sydorchuk, Shaparenko; Garmash, Buyalskiy, DePena; Tsygankov
Barcelona lineup: Ter Stegen; Mingueza, Eric Garcia, Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Busquets, González, F. de Jong; Gavi, Depay, Ansu Fati.