Barcelona panic ahead of crucial Champions League trip to Munich

FC Barcelona are heading to Germany with the morale extremely low following a loss against Real Betis on Saturday. On top of that, it has been revealed that star striker Ansu Fati won't be available for the crucial must-win match against Bayern Munich in their final group stage match in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

There will be little to no pressure on Bayern Munich, who are already qualified into the knockout stage as group winners. On the contrary, Barcelona need a victory in order to advance and rake in the revenue that they desperately need.

The loss against Betis on Saturday showed Xavi that while his arrival was a morale booster at the Camp Nou, the reality is that they have so much more to improve. The arrival of a new manager may not be enough, especially with injuries continuing to plague the squad.

Even Memphis Depay, who had a stellar start with the squad at the beginning of the campaign, seems to have run out of steam. Sergio Aguero's heart problem has left him unable to contribute, while Ansu Fati is still recovering from yet another injury. The youngster managed to make a comeback for only a few weeks after recovering from a knee injury that kept him away for nearly a year. There were high hopes that he would be back for the Bayern match, but his recovery has been slower than initially hoped.

Xavi is being forced to call up players from the youth squad as well as the likes of Philippe Coutinho, who was earlier deemed to be surplus to requirements. Abde Ezzalzouli and Ilias Akhomach were given chances, but both failed to make an impact.

A small ray of hope lies in the fact that Ousmane Dembele appears to have recovered from his latest injury, with the Frenchman being involved in several attacks against Betis. He wasn't able to find the back of the net last Saturday, but he could prove to be the game changer against the Germans.

Elimination in the Champions League will make a big dent on Xavi's efforts to revive his beloved club, and the lost income will also hinder his ability to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window.