Several key players are absent from Barcelona’s Champions League roster.

Knowing there is nothing to gain, Barcelona will go to Viktoria Plzen this week for a Champions League matchup. The outcome will not affect their destiny since they are already secured a berth in the Europa League ahead of Viktoria.

As a consequence, it is not surprising to see some great players taking a break. Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia both departed the field against Valencia at the weekend due to muscular injuries. They share the treatment table with Memphis Depay, Andreas Christensen, and Ronald Araujo.

Five of the seven first team players that won’t be traveling are made up of them. Sergio Busquets and Robert Lewandowski, two seasoned players, were benched so they could relax. Lewandowski has played 90% of Barcelona’s current minutes, as Relevo notes.

To complete the roster, four Barca Athletic players have been called up. Alvaro Sanz, Marc Casado, Ilias Akhomach, and Alex Valle have all received calls to active duty. The only left-back who hasn’t been called up to the first squad is Valle, although Casado may make his varsity debut for Barcelona.