Barcelona are without Arthur and Ousmane Dembele for Saturday’s La Liga game at home to Alaves – their final fixture in 2019.
Arthur is still struggling from a niggling problem picked up on international duty last month and has not featured for Barca since the 1-0 win away to Atletico Madrid on December 1.
Dembele, meanwhile, remains sidelined with a thigh problem he sustained in the Champions League clash against his former club Borussia Dortmund in November and the French forward will be out until mid-January.
Sergio Busquets should return after he missed the 0-0 draw against Real Madrid on Wednesday night with fever, with Ivan Rakitic and Frenkie de Jong also set to start in midfield.
Coach Ernesto Valverde must also decide between Sergi Roberto and Nelson Semedo at right-back, with the former having started in midfield in the Clasico.
Barcelona lead La Liga on goal difference from Real Madrid after 17 games and will head into the break as “winter champions” if they beat Alaves on Saturday.
Barcelona possible XI: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Lenglet, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, De Jong, Messi, Suarez, Griezmann
Alaves possible XI: Pacheco; Navarro, Ely, Laguardia, Duarte; Pons, Garcia, Wakaso; Vidal, Perez, Burke
