Hola Blaugrana fans. And welcome to Tuesday’s Barcelona blog.
The Sport360 team will be in place throughout today to bring you all the latest Barca news, views and gossip.
22:30pm: Valverde believes that Suarez can be fit for the Catalan derby
Ahead of Barcelona‘s Copa Del Rey fixture against Cultural Leonesa, boss Ernesto Valverde spoke about the Uruguayan’s availability for the upcoming games.
The coach is optimistic about the forward’s potential return before the Catalan derby against Espanyol on Saturday.
Click here to read the story.
Luis Suarez
22:00pm: Poor squad management can hurt Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde has been extremely conservative with his team selection. His reliance on the first tier of players can prove devastating.
Sooraj Kamath discusses how the current model at Barcelona might not be cut out for long-term success.
Click here to read the piece.
Ernesto Valverde
19:00pm: Carles Alena is La Masia’s best bet at providing Barcelona with a world-class player
The La Masia graduate was the centre of attention as he scored Barcelona‘s insurance goal in their 2-0 win against Villarreal.
Alena has the potential to establish himself at Barcelona. Sooraj Kamath takes a look at the player’s profile and discusses how he can fit in perfectly in the first team.
Click here to read the piece.
Carles Alena.
12:35pm – Umtiti’s waiting game is close to an end
Barcelona have told Samuel Umtiti he must have surgery if he has not recovered from a long-term knee problem by January 6, according to reports.
9:00am – Messi-Ronaldo duopoly of Ballon d’Or ends
It’s the end of an era. The Ballon d’Or has a new recipient following a 10-year duopoly that saw either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo take home the prestigious individual award.
Luka Modric has claimed the 2018 edition, becoming the first player other than Messi or Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or since Kaka in 2008.
Read more on the Ballon d’Or 2018 award ceremony here.
8:00am – Barca get Vermaelen and Cillissen boost
Barcelona welcomed back Belgium centre-back Thomas Vermaelen and Netherlands goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen to training on Monday in a boost to head coach Ernesto Valverde’s squad.
Both the players could now feature in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey round-of-32 second leg against Cultural Leonesa.
Read more on this story here.
