Barcelona worked in training on Tuesday without their injured attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Ousmane Dembele. This has sent shivers among Barca fans who are left contemplating their chances of success in this season’s campaign.
Antoine Griezmann is the only senior fit attacking player available to coach Ernesto Valverde ahead of their La Liga second match against Real Betis on Sunday.
📰[AS] | Barça left with just one fit attacker.
🔶Griezmann is the only attacker Barcelona have, with Messi a doubt and Suárez and Dembélé out injured for the Real Betis game.
đź”·Without Coutinho in Munich, Valverde has just four attackers to count on heading into the season. pic.twitter.com/wsdSFDVIPH
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) August 21, 2019
Messi is yet to return to team training having suffered a calf injury before his side’s brief pre-season tour of the United States.
He also endured a busy schedule with Argentina in the Copa America this summer and Barcelona are carefully monitoring his workload.
Luis Suarez also suffered a calf injury last week Friday during their 1-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao while Dembele faces a muscle problem incurred in the same match.
Barca also released Malcom Filipe Silva de Oliveira to Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg and Philippe Coutinho released on loan to Bayern Munich.
Fans now wary of their club’s vulnerable state as they are not confident that Griezmann can carry the team on his shoulder;
That should fit his philosophy perfectly, the guy is far too scared to attack anyone.
— Rocking73 (@E_Niclasen) August 21, 2019
this is the perfect time to regret for malcom got sold
— Aditi (@Mess3i) August 21, 2019
Coutinho to Bayern
Dembele out for 5 weeks
Griezmann’s shit
Messi’s one year older
Valverde still at Barcelona
pic.twitter.com/bE0SxydkEL— Ali (@alihlakhani) August 19, 2019
Only celebrate if we get Neymar
— Lucas. (@RMALUCA1) August 19, 2019
Griezmann when he wakes up on matchday and realizes he has to play alongside Perez and Rafinha at FC Barcelona.. pic.twitter.com/2hMNxpn210
— Rohan (@Rohandinho_) August 20, 2019
DOn’t think that Griezmann would work that well being a false 9 but it is an amazing attack
— IanGammer (@IanGammer) August 20, 2019
so now we only have griezmann left? pic.twitter.com/0GTZITUap1
— Saiba Joichiro (@MarsMahad) August 19, 2019
#Barcelona are losing their front! #Malcom was sold, #Coutinho was loaned, #Messi injured in pre-season, #Suarez vs #Bilbao and #Dembele yesterday. This leaves #Griezmann all alone, could THIS accelerate a move for #Neymar? #FCB #Barca #LosCules #365Scores pic.twitter.com/Im0C1lCkjt
— 365Scores (@365Scores) August 20, 2019
No idea… One thing’s for sure, though, he’ll bore tf out of us.
— Name (@atsultaan) August 20, 2019
Against real betis and the situation now this would not bet so bad. Betis play with 5 in the middle and that is always hard for barca to play against
— Michel (@Michel71663414) August 20, 2019
Barcelona remain adamant in bringing back Neymar and are set to submit an official offer for the Brazilian but their strike force will look very different this weekend.
B-team striker Carles Perez is expected to earn a call-up along with Rafinha. Perez is an exciting prospect and the club are anticipated to offer him a fresh deal soon.