Barcelona could hand deadline day signings Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo their debuts against Osasuna on Sunday in a match coach Xavi is expecting to be a tough test for the reigning champions.
Portugal duo Felix and Cancelo were brought in on season-long loan deals on Friday from Atletico Madrid and Manchester City respectively and have been immediately named in a 22-man squad for the trip to Pamplona.
Inigo Martinez, a summer signing from Athletic Bilbao, is also in the squad for the first time after recovering from injury while Barca welcome back forward Raphinha from suspension after his opening-weekend dismissal at Getafe.
Xavi said: “The two newcomers (Felix and Cancelo) have trained with us and we’ll see, Inigo is maybe lacking something but is a great signing. Pre-season has been difficult for him and we’ll introduce him bit by bit.
“Cancelo and Felix are well physically, and with Inigo I’m very happy to have him in the squad.
“Joao Felix fits in 100 per cent. He’s a natural talent, he scores goals and he can make the difference.
“He’s a versatile player, can adapt to all the positions in attack, and he can help us a lot.”
Barca head to El Sadar having won back-to-back games since their goalless draw with Getafe but will come up against an Osasuna side who have had a similarly decent start to the LaLiga season.
Jagoba Arrasate’s men have beaten both Celta Vigo and Valencia away from home, either side of a 2-0 defeat to local rivals Athletic Bilbao.
Osasuna also suffered disappointment in Europe after being knocked out of the Europa Conference League play-off by Club Brugge this week – the Basque side surrendering a 2-0 lead in the second leg to tumble out 4-3 on aggregate – but Barca boss Xavi knows his side will be in for a battle.
He said: “They are an intense and difficult team, and much more so at home. They’ve been eliminated from the Conference, after playing on Thursday it is not the ideal scenario for them, but it will be complicated.”
Osasuna boss Arrasate said after his side’s European exit: “It is a tough loss, obviously. We came to a challenging environment, but the team put their foot down. It is normal to feel hurt, but we must be proud of this team and our fans.
“It is a step in the right direction as we continue to build and improve this project. Experiences like this are always good, even though we feel hurt.”
Lucas Hernandez to miss Euro 2024 after PSG defender sustains knee injury
France have been dealt a blow ahead of Euro 2024 following confirmation that Paris Saint-Germain's Lucas Hernandez will miss the tournament.
Hernandez sustained a knee injury and had to be taken off in the 42nd minute of PSG's Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
And on Thursday, PSG announced Hernandez had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and will now need surgery.
"Lucas Hernandez suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee after coming off injured during the Champions League match," a statement read.
"An MRI scan carried out today confirmed the diagnosis made by the club's doctors on Wednesday evening.
"The player will undergo surgery in the next few days."
Hernandez suffered a similar injury during the last major international tournament, the 2022 World Cup, in which France finished as runners-up to Argentina.
The 28-year-old subsequently posted on his official Instagram account.
"When I signed with PSG, I made a promise that I would give my heart and soul to this team and this is what I have done ever since. Unfortunately, during last night's match I ended up with an injury," Hernandez said.
"I pushed myself back onto the field and tried to keep on fighting for our team, but it was not possible. My comeback will be stronger than ever before."
Al Ittihad 1-2 Al Hilal: Holders into King's Cup final
Al Hilal overcame Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's red card as Saud Abdulhamid's late goal sealed a 2-1 victory over Al Ittihad in the King's Cup semi-finals.
Without Karim Benzema, Al Ittihad ultimately lacked the firepower to make their numerical advantage count in Tuesday's clash.
Former Lazio midfielder, who joined Al Hilal as part of their spending spree last year, received a straight red card in the 42nd minute.
Al Ittihad's Abderrazzaq Hamed-Allah cancelled out Micheal's opener, but Abdulhamid popped up with the winner in the 81st minute.
Al Hilal are 10-time King's Cup winners, having won their 10th title last season.
The Saudi Pro League leaders, who are still without the injured Neymar, will now face either Al Khaleej or Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the final at the end of May.
Data Debrief: Malcom in the middle
Al Hilal might be missing their star Brazilian Neymar, but his compatriot Malcom is delivering when it comes to playmaking.
The former Zenit attacker set up both of Al Hilal's goals, creating three chances in total and registering a pass accuracy of 92.6 per cent, better than any of his team-mates.
Former Spain boss Del Bosque to oversee RFEF
Former Spain boss Vicente del Bosque will oversee a new committee supervising the RFEF.
Spain, which is due to be one of six host countries for the 2030 World Cup, announced the creation of a special committee until the federation holds elections to replace Luis Rubiales.
That is despite Pedro Rocha having this week been appointed as Rubiales' replacement, though he himself is under investigation amid a corruption probe.
Rubiales was dismissed following his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso during the Women's World Cup trophy ceremony in 2023.
The federation's former president was then arrested in early April as part of a corruption investigation.
Del Bosque led Spain to three consecutive trophies, winning the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, while also leading the team to their first World Cup success in 2010.
Prior to his time with the national team, he also won two Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles while in charge of Real Madrid, where he made over 400 appearances as a player.
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