Monaco play their first match in the league phase of the Champions League when they entertain five-time champions Barcelona on Thursday evening.
The French club finished as runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season and have made an unbeaten start this season with wins over Saint-Etienne, Lyon and Auxerre and a draw against Lens.
Barcelona have a 100 per cent record in La Liga after five games, scoring 17 goals and conceding only four.
They also finished second in the league last season but have not made a major impact in this competition since they last lifted the trophy in 2015.
The match at the Stade Louis II is available to watch at 20:00 BST on TNT Sports 2.
Predicted XIs:
Monaco (4-2-3-1): Kohn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Mawissa Elebi, Caio Henrique; Camara, Zakaria; Akliouche, Minamino, Ben Seghir; Embolo.Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Raphinha, Torres; Lewandowski.
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Raphinha, Torres; Lewandowski.
Olmo’s injury forces Barca into changes
While Barcelona have an unblemished record this season, manager Hansi Flick will be forced to change his lineup for the Champions League trip to Monaco due to an injury to midfielder Dani Olmo.
Olmo has made a big impression since joining the Spanish club this summer after spending the past four years with RB Leipzig in Germany.
The Spanish star had scored in each of his first three games for Barça, against Real Vallecano, Valladolid, and Girona, but was forced off with a hamstring issue 14 minutes after putting his team 3–0 ahead in the 47th minute of Sunday’s 4–1 win.
Olmo is expected to miss the next four to five weeks, which means he will likely also sit out the club’s next Champions League match against Young Boys. If his recovery goes according to plan, he could target a return against Bayern Munich on October 23rd or the Clásico showdown against Real Madrid four days later.
A club statement said: “Tests conducted this Monday morning on Dani Olmo have revealed that the Barcelona forward has injured his right hamstring. He is expected to be unavailable for the next four to five weeks.
“It comes as a blow to the team and player after Olmo had settled in so quickly to his new life at the club and under manager Hansi Flick, scoring in his first three league games, the first time a new player has done that since 2011,” it continued.
Monaco vs Barcelona Team News
Midfielder Lamine Camara could be available for Monaco despite coming off with a neck injury late in their Ligue 1 win at Auxerre on Saturday. He has been cleared from the league’s concussion protocols.
Goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki and midfielder Edan Diop are still out of action.
With Dani Olmo out of action due to a hamstring injury, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick will have to rethink his midfield plans. Ferran Torres, Frenkie de Jong, Andreas Christensen, Gavi, and Ronald Araujo are also injured.
Raphinha is set to play behind striker Robert Lewandowski, with Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres in the wide positions, and Pedri and Marc Casadó in deeper roles.
