Barcelona injury update before Champions League game against Napoli: Ferran Torres, Alonso, de Jong, Pedri, Gavi, Balde…

Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernández had high hopes of having Ferran Torres available again for Tuesday’s huge Champions League game against Napoli at Montjuïc, but the former Manchester City man will ultimately be one of five players unavailable for selection for the second leg of the round-of-16 tie.

What injury does Ferran Torres have? How long has he been out?

Club doctors had said the forward was prepared to undergo a fitness test on Monday and that how he felt during the session would determine whether or not he would make the matchday squad. But it was ultimately deemed it would be too much of a risk and Torres will join Frenkie de Jong, Alejandro Balde, Pedri and Gavi on the sidelines.

Torres has already been out for almost a month and a half, more than what was initially predicted. The attacker injured his hamstring in the defeat to Villarreal on 31 January and was expected to be ruled out for around five weeks.

Marcos Alonso set to be available for Napoli

The only player Xavi could welcome back into the squad to face Napoli is Marcos Alonso, who has been back in group training for almost a week. If Ronald Araújo, Sergi Roberto and João Félix receive a yellow card against the Italians, they will miss the first leg of the quarter-finals, should Barça qualify.

Barcelona and Napoli played out a 1-1 draw in Italy in the first leg of the tie three weeks ago. With the away goals rule no longer counting, there must be a winner on the night in Montjuïc, either over 90 or 120 minutes, or in a penalty shootout.

Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have already qualified for the last eight, with the ties between Arsenal and Porto, Atlético Madrid and Inter, and Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven supplying the three remaining quarter-finalists.