Barcelona manager Xavi has suggested he is concerned by player fatigue ahead of the Europa League play-off second-leg clash with Manchester United on Thursday night.
United drew 2-2 with the Catalan giants in the first leg of the tie last Thursday, thanks to a Marcus Rashford strike and an own goal from French defender Jules Kounde. The Reds looked like returning to Old Trafford with a lead in the tie, but former Leeds United man Raphinha scored in the 76th minute to level proceedings.
With the away goals rule no longer in play, the winner of the reverse leg on Thursday night will progress to the next stage of the competition. However, Xavi has admitted he is worried about two players' fatigue after Barcelona's 2-0 win over Cadiz at Camp Nou on Sunday.
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Despite the Catalan outfit extending their lead over Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table to eight points, Xavi - who made six changes from midweek - is worried by game overload ahead of the important match against Erik ten Hag's side.
"Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski played more minutes. I think they have been playing a lot of minutes, that’s why I made the changes," Xavi said, via Marca. "The other day Pedri was injured and we can’t afford more injuries.
"Let’s prepare for Thursday’s game from tomorrow and see how tired they are."
The Blaugrana cruised past Cadiz on Sunday night, with goals from Sergi Roberto and Lewandowski securing all three points ahead of a busy run of matches across all competitions.
Xavi is expected to name his squad for the clash with United in the next 48 hours, and he'll have to make changes for the visit to Old Trafford. Barcelona will be without midfielder Gavi for the second leg, with the youngster suspended after picking up three bookings in Europe this season. Pedri is also out injured.
Despite this, the La Liga leaders will be boosted by the return of veteran Sergio Busquets in midweek. The midfielder was an unused substitute in a comfortable home win over Cadiz.
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