Andres Iniesta has not fully recovered from a calf injury and will miss Barcelona’s trip to Villarreal on Sunday, the club have confirmed.
Iniesta, 33, was taken off during last week’s draw with Celta Vigo and missed the midweek win against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.
He returned to training on Friday and Barca hoped to have him available for the game at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
However, the Catalan club confirmed on Saturday that the game will come too soon for the midfielder
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Samuel Umtiti, who will be out for two months with a torn hamstring, is also missing.
With Umtiti and Mascherano both absent, Ernesto Valverde has called up B team defender David Costas to provide backup for Thomas Vermaelen and Gerard Pique.
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