BARCELONA ace Ousmane Dembele is unlikely to be available for the second leg of the Champions League clash against Liverpool on Tuesday.
The French forward suffered a hamstring injury in yesterday's 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo.
Just five minutes in the game Dembele, 21, with his leg strapped, limped off the pitch holding his hamstring.
And Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde confirmed later that the forward had suffered a muscular injury.
He said: “It changed our plans in the game because he is an important player.
“As it was an early injury, we didn’t want to run any risks by sending on Coutinho.”
Barca's third league defeat of the season was meaningless as the Catalans had already sealed their La Liga title last week.
But, most importantly, Valverde's stars will be fresh at Anfield as most of them were left out of the squad for the Celta clash.
First-leg heroes Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez as well as Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Gerard Pique, Sergi Roberto, Jordi Alba and Marc-Andre ter Stegen all missed the Saturday game.
While Philippe Coutinho, Clement Lenglet and Nelson Semedo watched it from the bench.
MO DRAMA
Meanwhile, Liverpool fans hope Mohamed Salah, 26, will win a race against time and be fit to face Barca after he suffered a horror head injury in yesterday's 3-2 win over Newcastle.
The Egyptian was left motionless on the pitch after an aerial collision with Toon keeper Martin Dubravka and was stretchered off in tears.
But Reds coach Jurgen Klopp has said he is optimistic that his star will lead his side's offensive line on Tuesday night.
He said: “When we came in, he was sitting in the dressing room and watching the game, or had watched the game.
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“He was then fine but of course we have to wait. He got a proper knock in that situation.”
Liverpool will already have to cope without Roberto Firmino, 27, who injured his groin last week.
Jurgen Klopp's men are facing a daunting task of overturning a three-goal deficit from the first leg at the Nou Camp.
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