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Injuries hamper Barca as they prepare to face Levante

Xinhua, September 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

FC Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will have to find solutions to a host of absences when his side entertains Levante in the Camp Nou Stadium on Sunday.

Barca go into the game against the team from Valencia with five players missing: Gerard Pique serves the last game of his suspension, while Dani Alves, Adriano, Douglas and Claudio Bravo are all injured.

Meanwhile it was confirmed that Rafinha Alcantara will miss the rest of the season after breaking his cruciate knee ligaments on Wednesday.

Bravo's injury means that Ter Stegen will continue in goal, despite some doubts after he was beaten from almost 50 meters during Barca's 1-1 draw away to Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday night, while Pique's continued absence means the versatile Jeremy Mathieu will partner Javier Mascherano in central defense as Marc Bartra, who doesn't seem to count on Luis Enrique's confidence, will wait for his turn on the subs' bench.

The Barca coach has also called up two B-team players, Gerard Gumbau and Juan Camera, to give extra cover to his squad and the pair could find themselves on the bench on Sunday.

Meanwhile Leo Messi has recovered from a knock he suffered on Wednesday night and will have no problems in partnering Luis Suarez and Neymar in the Barca attack.

Barca have not been at their best this season, but despite struggling for form at times, they have a 100 percent record in the BBVA Primera Liga and Wednesday's Champions League draw away to their toughest rival in their qualifying group has to be seen as a good result.

Meanwhile Friday saw the club launch its initiative to help Syrian refugees. The campaign "it doesn't matter if we come from the north or the south," aims to collect donations either on line or through SMS messages or collection boxes positioned in activities organized by the club." Endi