Barcelona Announce 25-Man Squad Ahead of Champions League Group Stages
Barcelona have announced their 25-man squad ahead of the upcoming Champions League group stages.
Summer signings Nelson Semedo, Ousmane Dembele and Paulinho are unsurprisingly all included after their respective big money arrivals.
The likes of midfielder Andre Gomes and former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen also make the cut, despite being linked with exits this summer.
Barcelona were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season by Juventus, and have been drawn in the same group as the Italian giants this time around.
Greek champions Olympiakos and Portuguese club Sporting CP will both be looking to cause an upset in a strong Group D.
Barcelona will of course be without Neymar after his world record move to Paris Saint-Germain, and former Blaugrana midfielder Gaizka Mendieta has expressed his belief that they could struggle with his absence.
"It's a big loss for the club, because we know how much Neymar brought into the team with the skills and the talent that he has," he said, quoted by Goal.
"It's difficult to replace him. Whether they could've got any other player, it's always going to be difficult."
