Barcelona’s João Félix and Serge Roberto have reentered the first-team fold in preparation for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 opener against Napoli on Wednesday (February 21).
Xavi’s squad is fresh from a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo in La Liga, narrowing the gap behind second-placed Girona to just two points after 25 matches. However, they trail league leaders Real Madrid by eight points with 13 games remaining.
After narrowly clinching the top spot in their Champions League group, edging out Porto on head-to-head record, Barcelona aims to secure an advantage in the first leg at Naples before returning for the decisive match next month.
Despite grappling with injuries, Xavi finds solace in the return of Felix and Roberto to training a day before their Italian encounter, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Felix has been sidelined for three weeks due to an ankle ailment, while Roberto has been nursing a foot injury during the same period. However, Alejandro Balde, Marcos Alonso, Ferran Torres, and Gavi remain sidelined due to injuries.
For Barcelona, this marks their first Champions League knockout fixture since the departure of club icon Lionel Messi in 2021, following consecutive group-stage exits in the past two seasons.
Having fallen short in the Supercopa Espana final against Real Madrid and exiting the Copa del Rey, the continental competition stands as Barcelona’s sole realistic avenue for silverware this season.
