FC Barcelona will make at least five lineup changes for their Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk in Hamburg on Tuesday night.
With a packed calendar approaching the international break, manager Xavi Hernandez needs to rotate his side and give some players a rest ahead of a La Liga hosting of Alaves at the Montjuic Stadium this weekend.
Opting for a flat back three against Real Sociedad on Saturday, Xavi chooses four defenders to try and help Marc-Andre ter Stegen keep a clean sheet on this occasion.
Injury time goalscorer of the winner in Anoeta Ronald Araujo starts in central defense to partner Andreas Christensen, with Marcos Alonso and Joao Cancelo the left and right backs.
In midfield, Oriol Romeu finally returns as a pivot from the offset amid shaky performances as of late without the injured Frenkie de Jong by his side to compensate for his errors.
Rather than his recent replacement Ilkay Gundogan receiving the chop, however, there is no place for Fermin Lopez in the more attacking midfield roles where the German partners Gavi.
On the front line, Joao Felix is given a rest so that Ferran Torres can begin the proceedings on the left wing.
With Robert Lewandowski the striker, to his right is a Raphinha who has just received a call up to the Brazil national team to face Colombia and Argentina later this month.
In Barca colours, though, he has not been a starting player since pulling up with a hamstring knock in late September.
Winning three from three thus far on the continent, which has made them much richer as a club as communicated by UEFA figures, Barca need to take maximum points again in Germany to put one foot in the knockout stages for the first time since 2021.
Under a fortnight ago in Catalonia, Barca beat the Ukrainians 2-1 to top Group H but were lucky not to concede late on in the tie as Shakhtar had their chances to level.
FC Barcelona Starting XI Vs. Shakhtar Donetsk: Ter Stegen; Alonso, Christensen, Araujo, Cancelo; Romeu, Gundogan, Gavi; Torres, Lewandowski, Raphinha
