Barcelona star Gavi will be suspended for the Europa League play-off second leg with Manchester United, should he receive a booking in this week’s first tie.
Gavi, 18, is one of the most promising young players on the planet and, despite his young age, he is already a key player at Barcelona. He has made 31 appearances for the Catalan giants in all competitions this term and he is expected to feature on Thursday when United visit Camp Nou.
However, the Spain international with 17 caps will have to tread carefully against Erik ten Hag’s side as he is one booking away from suspension after picking up two yellow cards during the Champions League group stage.
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Under UEFA rules, those reservations carry over to all European competitions. Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League marquee at the first hurdle this season, while United finished runners-up in their Europa League group to set up a heavyweight showdown.
With a place in the round of 16 at stake, Barcelona and United will face off in a double match in what is undoubtedly the tie of the day. Barcelona are heavy favorites to win La Liga this campaign and United have improved remarkably under ten Hag, with their team still vying for the honor on four fronts.
However, they will be without several players due to injury due to their European double, while Lisandro Martínez and midfielder on loan from Bayern Munich, Marcel Sabitzer, are suspended for the first leg. Martinez was booked three times in six Europa League group stage outings, while Sabitzer was banned from collecting yellow cards while playing for Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier this term. United midfielder Casemiro is available despite being in the midst of a national ban following his red card against Crystal Palace, as Premier League suspensions do not apply in Europe.
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