Xavi insists injuries no excuse ahead of Barcelona clash with Napoli in Champions League

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has warned his squad that they cannot use their current injury list as an excuse for failure going into the Champions League last-16 second leg against Naples on Tuesday.

The two sides drew 1-1 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in February which saw Robert Lewandowski put Barca into a second-half lead only for Victor Osimhen to salvage a draw for Napoli 15 minutes from time, in what was Francesco Calzona's first game in charge of the Serie A side.

Barcelona are aiming to reach the quarter-finals of the competition they last won in 2015 but will be without three key midfielders in Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, as well as attacker Ferran Torres and left-back Alejandro Balde.

The Catalonians defeated Mallorca 1-0 in La Liga on Friday thanks to a sensational goal from 16-year-old Lamine Yamal and are third in the table, one point behind Girona and eight shy of leaders Real Madrid.

And Xavi believes his squad must forget about the missing players and concentrate on reaching the quarter-finals while urging his teenage stars Pau Cubarsi and Yamal to seize the opportunity and demanding a “magic night” at the club's temporary Olympic Stadium.

“It's the moment to be able to reach the quarter-finals, for four years we haven't got to the last eight of the Champions League, I see it as an opportunity,” said the coach ahead of taking on the reigning Italian champions who are seventh in the standings and 31 points adrift of leaders Inter Milan.

“It's true that we have players out, but it's not an excuse. It's an opportunity. To Lamine and Cubarsi, the same, that they enjoy it, that at 16 and 17 years old it is spectacular that they can be there, it is an opportunity to be among the eight best in