Ousmane Dembele and Andreas Christensen set to return for Barcelona following injury

Ousmane Dembele and Andreas Christensen are available to return for Barcelona against Real Betis on Saturday following spells on the sidelines.

Dembele has not featured since January after being forced off in the first half of Barcelona’s La Liga clash against Girona with a hamstring injury.

The 25-year-old winger was initially expected to be absent for a month but has subsequently missed 13 weeks of action.

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“It was a matter of sensations. He did not have a good feeling,” Barcelona head coach Xavi said on Friday. “He suffered a rupture in the zone of the muscle he needed to shoot the ball, so it was sensitive. Now he is well and happy.

“We’ll see if he can start but it’s important to have him back.

“Of course we missed him. He is the biggest difference-maker in the 1-v-1. There is no other player in our squad that can match his skill in that regard, and there are not many players in the world with his level.

“You could run a survey through all the full-backs in La Liga to know what they think about Dembele and you would see.”

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Christensen, meanwhile, has been out since suffering an injury to his left calf while on international duty with Denmark in March.

The 27-year-old defender, who joined Barcelona from Chelsea last summer, has made 16 La Liga appearances this season, having also been sidelined with an ankle injury earlier in the campaign.

“His signing was a personal request from myself,” Xavi added. “Of course, we missed him, not just with his build-up play. He is always focused and tries to anticipate what is going to happen. Great news to have him back.”

Barcelona face Betis on Saturday as they attempt to take another step towards their first La Liga title since 2019. Xavi’s side are 11 points clear of second-place Real Madrid with seven matches remaining.

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(Photo: Getty Images)

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