Barcelona v Getafe preview: Ernesto Valverde faces selection headache

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde could be faced with a defensive crisis when his side host Getafe in La Liga on Sunday.

Barca return to league action aiming to strengthen their grip on top spot after booking their place in the Copa del Rey final following a bruising semi-final second leg clash against Valencia.

Gerard Pique hobbled off in the closing stages of the encounter, joining Thomas Vermaelen as a major doubt to face Getafe this weekend, while Samuel Umtiti is suspended.

Valverde's side will face Sevilla in April hoping to seal a fourth consecutive Copa del Rey title, and confidence is high after Philippe Coutinho scored his first goal for the club in the 2-0 win at the Mestalla on Thursday night.

Getafe are unbeaten in their last four matches and will take heart from narrowly succumbing to a late Paulinho goal in the reverse fixture - a 2-1 defeat in September.

Getafe have proven hard to beat this term on their return to La Liga, ending Valencia's unbeaten record in December and three successive draws - to Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla and Leganes - mean they sit in 11th place with 29 points from 22 games.

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With Barcelona nine points clear at the top of La Liga, Valverde may be tempted to make several changes this weekend ahead of their Champions League tie against Chelsea, but it is also likely that there will be a degree of fatigue from over Valencia.

Barca have won their last four La Liga games against Getafe, scoring 16 goals in the process (four per game on average) and conceding just one.

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Umtiti is suspended while Vermaelen and Pique are both doubts, so Valverde has been left with a selection headache in defence.

Midfielder Andre Gomes returned from a gastric virus in the second-leg win over Valencia but he lasted just 45 minutes before being substituted while Ousmane Dembele remains out with a muscle injury.

Getafe will be without Markel Bergara, but manager Jose Bordalas has an otherwise full-strength squad to choose from ahead of the trip to Catalonia.

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• Barcelona have gone 29 La Liga games without a defeat (W25 D4), two behind their longest unbeaten run in the competition, achieved under Pep Guardiola in April 2011 (31).
• Getafe have lost their last six La Liga away games against Catalonian sides, failing to score in all six.
• Lionel Messi has scored 11 goals in his 11 games against Getafe at the Camp Nou in all competitions, the first one was his famous goal emulating Maradona's slalom against England in the 1986 World Cup.
• Luis Suarez has scored in eight of his last nine La Liga games (11 goals), only failing to score last time out against Espanyol.
• Barcelona have hit the woodwork more times than any other side in the top five European leagues this season (23).

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