For the first time in forever, Barcelona have every single first-team player fit, registered, not suspended for a game.
It could not be a bigger occasion, either, as they gear up to take on Bayern Munich at the prestigious Allianz Arena.
Xavi has called up all first-team members, along with the usual pick of the bunch from Barcelona Atletic, including Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Inaki Pena, Arnau Tenas, and Pablo Torre.
However, the squad list of 25 has exceeded the cut-off for the Champions League by two. Xavi will have to discard two players from the squad, and Javi Miguel reports one of them will be Pablo Torre.
The other name is yet to be decided, but the report states it will likely be one of Gerard Pique, Memphis Depay, Jordi Alba, or Hector Bellerin.
Pique is competing with Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Eric Garcia, and Andreas Christensen for a place in the starting lineup, and has participated in a grand total of 135 minutes so far this season.
Similarly, Memphis faces immense competition for a place in the team. Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, Ansu Fati, and Ferran Torres are all ahead of him on the left-wing, while Robert Lewandowski remains the undisputed starter as the striker.
On the contrary, Alba or Bellerin’s exclusion will be a bit surprising. The former has lost his starting spot to Balde this season, but should still remain the second-choice option ahead of Marcos Alonso. The Spaniard is barely match fit, and does not offer anything over Alba right now.
As for Bellerin, he is the only natural contender for the right-back role. Even if he does not start, his pace could be key to helping Barcelona cope with the pace of Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, and Sadio Mane.
The final decision will only be announced with the starting lineup, where fans will be able to see two players completely axed from the team, and not even on the bench.