BARCELONA: Raphinha will remain on Barcelona’s injured list and left-back Jules Koundé is doubtful for Sunday’s clasico match, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is ready to play for Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold was included Saturday on Xabi Alonso’s squad list for the first time since the former Liverpool star hurt his left hamstring in mid-September.
That leaves only Antonio Rudiger on Madrid’s injured list.
Barcelona were already without Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo and first-choice goalkeeper Joan García due to injuries for the big match.
“Of course I’d love to have everyone available, the coach and the team would too, (but) those of us who are fit will give everything and fight for the three points,” Barcelona midfielder Pedri González said.
Barcelona had hoped to have Raphinha ready
Raphinha has been sidelined for a month after injuring his right leg in late September.
Coach Hansi Flick had raised hopes about having his winger back in time for the clasico, but those were dashed a day before the trip to Madrid when assistant coach Marcus Sorg confirmed the Brazil international would not be on the squad.
That leaves Barcelona without Raphinha and Lewadowski, two of their top scorers. In the same fixture from last season, the two players combined for three goals in Barcelona’s 4-0 win.
Sorg said that Spain forward Ferran Torres also may not be ready to start after recently recovering from a muscle strain. His other options to accompany Lamine Yamal up front are Marcus Rashford, Roony Bardghji or experimenting with a red-hot Fermín López as a “false nine.”
Koundé missed two training sessions for unspecified reasons after playing in Barcelona’s 6-1 rout of Olympiakos in the Champions League on Tuesday, when López scored a hat trick.
The defender was back training on Saturday, but Sorg said the team “will wait until the last moment to decide” if Koundé plays.
Sorg will be on the touchline for Barcelona in the place of Flick, who is suspended after seeing a red card for protesting last round.
Madrid lead Barcelona by two points after nine rounds at the top of the table.
Clasico: Raphinha out and Koundé doubtful for Barcelona, Alexander-Arnold back for Madrid
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Clasico: Raphinha out and Koundé doubtful for Barcelona, Alexander-Arnold back for Madrid
- That leaves only Antonio Rudiger on Madrid’s injured list
- Raphinha has been sidelined for a month after injuring his right leg in late September
Messi bags 899th goal as Miami down DC United
- The Argentine superstar’s 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone
WASHINGTON, United States: Lionel Messi moved to the brink of another goalscoring milestone as Inter Miami bagged their second win of the Major League Soccer season with a 2-1 victory over DC United on Saturday.
Messi, who scored twice in Miami’s Florida derby win over Orlando last week, bagged his third goal of the season with a deft chipped finish in the 27th minute at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
The Argentine superstar’s 80th goal for Miami takes his career tally to 899, leaving him just one away from reaching the 900-goal milestone.
The eight-time Ballon D’Or winner, who turns 39 in June, scored 672 goals for Barcelona earlier in his career and 32 at Paris Saint-Germain, with a further 115 international goals for Argentina.
Saturday’s win moved the reigning MLS champions up the Eastern Conference standings into third place with six points from three games.
Miami, who on Thursday were guests of President Donald Trump at a White House reception, took the lead in the 17th minute with a superb curling shot from the edge of the area by Messi’s Argentina team-mate Rodrigo De Paul.
Messi then doubled Miami’s lead 10 minutes later, latching on to a sublime through ball from Mateo Silvetti and dinking a first-time finish over the advancing DC United goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
United rallied after half-time, and were given hope when Israeli forward Tai Baribo pulled a goal back in the 75th minute.
Miami though were able to hold off United in the closing stages to seal victory.
