Barcelona v Levante preview: Ousmane Dembele in contention to feature
Sunday 7 January 2018 15:03, UK
Ousmane Dembele looks set to feature among the substitutes again when Barcelona face Levante on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Football from 3.10pm.
The 20-year-old, a £93m signing in August, suffered a hamstring injury on his La Liga debut for Barca in September, but came off the bench in the 1-1 draw at Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey in midweek.
The Frenchman has been included in Barcelona's squad to face Levante, and although coach Ernesto Valverde said he could start, another substitute appearance seems more likely.
Live La Liga Football
"Everyone on the list has the possibility of starting," Valverde said. "I have already said that we have to be careful with him because he has to get involved with the team's dynamics again."
Barcelona will begin the match with a six-point lead at the top of the table following Atletico Madrid's 2-0 victory over Getafe on Saturday, and are overwhelming favourites against a Levante side languishing in 16th place.
But Valverde warned his players that Levante can be a more dangerous proposition away from home - having lost only one of their seven matches on the road this season, drawing five and winning one.
"They are a team that is doing better away from home than at home," Valverde said. "They have only lost a single match. We have to work hard to win this match. We respect the opponent a lot."
Levante coach Juan Muniz has challenged his players to neutralise the threat of Lionel Messi in order to give themselves a chance of picking up a result in Barcelona.
"Messi is a great player, but I prefer to talk about my players who are also very good players and they are going to make Messi seem small," he said.
"We will try to ensure that Messi does not play, does not participate, we will try to play a good match."
It is bold talk, but the task will be made no easier by a long list of absentees for the visitors. Roger and Chema are injured, while Enis Bardhi, Jose Morales and Jose Campana are also suspended for the trip to the Nou Camp.
