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Xavi Hernandez will have a strong squad to call upon
Barcelona have been handed fitness boosts ahead of their clash with Villarreal on Thursday night.
The Catalan giants were defeated in El Clásico over the weekend, losing 3-1 away to Real Madrid.
The Blaugrana are now staring up at top spot again, and they will be looking get back on track against a Villarreal side wo have only won one of their last five La Liga games.
Ahead of the Camp Nou clash, Barca have welcomed back Hector Bellerin from injury, with the former Arsenal star having been out since September 17 with a calf injury.
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Bellerin’s return will be a big help for Xavi Hernandez given the amount of games his side are having to cram in ahead of the World Cup – much like Villarreal.
Beyond Bellerin, Frenkie de Jong and Jules Koundé have both come through knocks on time to be included in the squad to face the Yellows.
Villarreal will face a strong Barca side, but they do often turn up in the games against bigger opposition, and they did manage to limit Robert Lewandowski to one goal in two games during last season’s Champions League dates with Bayern Munich.
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