Will Traore or Aubameyang debut for Barcelona this Sunday?

Barcelona are back in action this Sunday afternoon, as they host Atlético Madrid at the Camp Nou in LaLiga Santander. This is the club’s first match since signing Adama Traoré and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang over the past couple of weeks, so both forwards could make their debuts in this game.

Xavi was asked about the arrivals from Wolves and Arsenal in his pre-match press conference. “They’ve both trained normally,” Xavi told the media. “Adama is probably in a better stage as Aubameyang had COVID-19 and had been working individually. Tomorrow we will decide, but both of them are available. Adama is probably in a little better shape.”

It seems quite clear, then, that Traore is more likely to have some game time against Atlético Madrid than Aubameyang. In the Spain international’s case, it will be a re-debut if he comes on against Atleti, having come through the La Masia academy and having made four first-team appearances across 2013/14 and 2014/15, back when Xavi was in the Barça squad too.

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In addition to Traoré and Aubameyang, Barcelona also signed Dani Alves and Ferran Torres in the January transfer window. Although both of those players have already been playing for the Blaugrana in recent weeks, Sunday will give them the chance to make their home debuts – or, in the case of Alves, a re-debut at the Camp Nou.

Given the way the fixture list worked out, Barcelona haven’t played in front of their home fans at the Camp Nou since December 18th, when they beat Elche 3-2. Now, exactly 50 days later, Barça are home again and Alves and Ferran Torres will have the opportunity to show the Blaugrana faithful what they can do.

For Alves, this will be a particularly special occasion and it’ll surely be nostalgic to see him bomb up and down the right flank of Europe’s biggest stadium once more.