Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde planning to play 4-4-2 and axe Ousmane Dembele for Tottenham clash
Spurs welcome the Spanish giants to Wembley tomorrow night and face one of the toughest attacks in world football
BARCELONA boss Ernesto Valverde will switch to a 4-4-2 formation for tomorrow's Champions League clash with Tottenham, according to reports.
It is understood Valverde is ready to mix things up at Wembley and is expected to drop Ousmane Dembele from the starting line-up.
According to Sport, the Barca boss wants to move away from his usual 4-3-3 formation for the tie.
It means Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are likely to start up front together against Mauricio Pochettino's side.
Behind them, it could be a midfield four of Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets and Philippe Coutinho.
Summer signing Malcom is set to be left out of the matchday squad despite the Catalan giants splashing out £37.3million on the winger.
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According to reports Juan Miranda, the 18-year-old back-up to Jordi Alba at left-back, is set to be included in the squad.
Valverde took over as Barcelona manager in May 2017 and led the club to the La Liga title, finishing 14 points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid and losing just once.
They also won the Copa del Rey but crashed out to Roma in the Champions League quarter-finals despite winning the first leg 4-1.
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His side made the perfect start to the current European campaign, though, thrashing PSV 4-0 thanks to a Messi hat-trick.
Spurs, meanwhile, lost 2-1 at Inter despite leading at the San Siro before late goals from Mauro Icardi and Matias Vecino turned the game on its head.
But Pochettino is expected to be without six first-team players including Dele Alli, Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele.