Xavi confirms 2 key Barcelona stars are set to return to first-team squad for Atletico Madrid fixture

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has confirmed that Ferran Torres and Marcos Alonso will return to the squad for their clash against Atletico Madrid on March 17.

The Blaugrana will face Los Rojiblancos at the Wanda Metropolitano in La Liga on Sunday. Ahead of the big clash, the visitors have received a big boost with the return of Torres and Alonso.

In a pre-match press conference, Xavi said (via Barca Universal):

“Tomorrow we will give the list. Both will be available for the squad, if nothing changes.”

Torres performed well for Barcelona before suffering a hamstring injury, having contributed 11 goals and four assists in 32 games across competitions. Meanwhile, Alonso has made just seven appearances this season, mainly being on the bench before suffering a back injury.

Xavi also provided an update on Frenkie de Jong, saying:

“Hopefully he will recover soon, we are positive. When he’s 100 per cent and has a good feeling, he’ll be available again.”

De Jong has been a key player for Barcelona but suffered multiple injury issues, missing 15 games so far. He has scored two goals in 27 games for the Spanish giants across competitions.

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Xavi on Joao Felix returning to Wanda Metropolitano with Barcelona

Joao Felix will return to Wanda Metropolitano for the first time since joining Barcelona on loan from Atletico last summer. The Portuguese forward scored the solitary goal in Barca's 1-0 win over Atletico in January and celebrated wildly. He is expected to face a hostile reception from the home fans on Sunday.

In his pre-match press conference, Xavi spoke about the situation, saying:

“Personally, I liked the hostile environment. Joao has a strong character and wants to show his talent, which he has a lot of. We will need a lot of personality to win the game. He has all the characteristics to play a great game tomorrow.

“I see him calm and motivated, extra-motivated. He’s coming back to what has been his home. He already had a great game in the first round, hopefully he can do it again."

Felix joined Atletico from Benfica for a huge reported transfer fee of €126 million in 2019. He made 131 appearances for them, scoring 34 goals and providing 18 assists.

However, the Portuguese had a fallout with manager Diego Simeone and joined Chelsea on a six-month loan in January 2023. He then eventually joined Barcelona last summer and has contributed eight goals and five assists in 33 games this campaign.