Why are Gavi, Pedri and Dembele not playing for Barcelona vs Manchester United?
Barcelona take on Manchester United in the return leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout round with some notable absences. Find out here why Gavi, Pedri, and Ousmane Dembele are not playing today.
An eventful game at Camp Nou last week left things wide open between Barcelona and Manchester United. Today, these continental giants face off at Old Trafford in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League series.
Needless to say, we're talking about a highly anticipated clash for the soccer community. After witnessing a four-goal thriller a week ago, fans can't wait to see who moves on to the next round of the competition.
United almost took home a crucial victory in Spain, but Barca were able to snatch a draw ahead of their trip to England. Still, the Red Devils seem to be in a better spot ahead of this clash since not only they'll play at home but the visitors will also miss key players.
Why are Gavi, Pedri, and Dembele not playing for Barcelona vs Man Utd
Xavi Hernandez has a challenging task ahead of him. Pedri and Ousmane Dembele are missing Barcelona's game against Manchester United due to injury, while Gavi received a one-match ban due to yellow card accumulation.
Pedri picked up a thigh injury during the first leg vs. United last week, while the French winger has been out for a few weeks and hasn't been cleared to return yet. Therefore, Sergio Busquets and Franck Kessie are expected to start in the middle of the park while Ferran Torres could play as winger.
Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.