The Barca manager says two ‘vital’ players are back in his squad to face the Basque side.
Barcelona will face Athletic Bilbao in a La Liga game on Sunday. The Catalans host Bilbao after two impressive wins over Napoli and Valencia.
While Xavi Hernandez’s side already show significant improvement in their performances, they will receive major injury boosts in the coming days. According to the Spanish manager, both Memphis Depay and Clement Lenglet will be able to play for the Catalans in their upcoming game.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Xavi said (via Barcauniversal): “They both trained with the group, and are 100% fit. If there are no changes, they will be ready for the game.”
“Depay will be an important player for us, like Lenglet. It is important for them to come back in order to complete in the team, they are vital for us.”
The Spaniard went on to praise Frenkie de Jong, who has been one of the best Barca players in their recent games.
“Firstly, I want to talk about his character,” Xavi added.
“He is very motivated and told me he can be even better, he can make a difference. He’s a perfect player.”
“We make videos that help him improve, he is very humble and it is very difficult to find a player with his qualities.”
Barcelona sit fourth in La Liga, four points behind third-placed Real Betis. The Catalans have the chance to close the gap to one point if they manage to beat Bilbao.
The Catalans’ recent performances have persuaded the bookmakers to consider them as the favourites to win the home game.
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