Predicted Teams AS Monaco-Barcelona: Ansu Fati is back as Hansi Flick seeks to answer key question

Barcelona will make their European debut on Thursday night at 21:00 CEST, as they travel to AS Monaco for their first ‘league phase’ game. Hansi Flick will have Ansu Fati back from injury and available for the first time, but is not expected to make too many changes.

The one key question facing Flick is how he goes about replacing Dani Olmo in his midfield, after he was ruled out for the next month with a hamstring injury. Sport believe that Ferran Torres will come into the side, with Raphinha moving inside to the role Olmo was playing.

Meanwhile MD also predict the same XI. It would be a surprise if Flick were to start Fati from the beginning, and the reality is that he has few other options to replace Olmo, with Pablo Torre, Pau Victor or moving Pedri forward the main options. He has included the pair of 16-year-old cousins in the squad, Guille and Toni Fernandez too, with Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and Marc Bernal all out.

Adi Hutter is without Radoslaw Majecki, but otherwise has a reasonably clean bill of health. He is expected to use Breel Embolo up front, and a pacy defence of Vanderson, Thilo Kehrer, Mohamed Salisu and Caio Henrique. Monaco beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Joan Gamper trophy match, a preseason friendly, and will no doubt be hoping their counter-pressing can work to the same effect.

#FCBarcelona make their #UCL debut against a Monaco side that beat them 3-0 in preseason.

Ansu Fati is back for what could be his first appearance for Barcelona since the 13th of August 2023. MD predict that the only change will be Ferran for the injured Dani Olmo though. pic.twitter.com/q4ZONEIWTg

— Football España (@footballespana_) September 19, 2024

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