FC Barcelona had to endure a bit of a crisis in the past week, but things started looking up after their convincing 3-0 victory over Levante on Sunday.

The return of Ansu Fati from 11 months in the sidelines has boosted morale at the Camp Nou, and the mood is even better thanks to the appearance of two other players in training. On Monday morning, Marca reported that both Jordi Alba and Pedri were spotted with the squad, and their participation in the group session is an indication that they will both be available to play perhaps even in midweek.

Barcelona will be facing Benfica in their second Group Stage match in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. It is a must-win match if Ronald Koeman wants his players to quickly get over the heavy 3-0 defeat they received at the hands of Bayern Munich in their opening match.

There is another training session on Tuesday, and Koeman will then be able to determine how fit the players are and if either of them can make a significant contribution on Wednesday.

Koeman will be delighted to at least see the injury crisis sorting itself out little by little. If the rest of the players become available soon, he will have more choices as he tries to turn things around for the club.

They lost their opening UCL match against Bayern, and a victory against Benfica will help them get their bearings in the competition, They are riding on a high from the victory on Sunday, and they will be hoping to keep the momentum moving forward.

Ousmane Dembele, Martin Braithwaite, Sergio Aguero and Alejandro Balde are still on the injured list, but things are starting to look up at Barcelona and the mood has shifted significantly after just one victory. They will need to string together a few good results to get their season back on track, and Koeman will be able to buy himself more time on the job.

Jordi Alba
Jordi Alba Getty
Barcelona FC