Luis Enrique needs his team to wake up this weekend ahead of the clash with Real Madrid and the return of captain Andres Iniesta may just do that. The skipper is back after various weeks of recovery and he seems virtually guaranteed to start the Clasico.

There was a chance Lucho would give him minutes in the upcoming Copa del Rey clash on Wednesday night against Hercules, but the club delegate told him that Iniesta was suspended from after last season’s Copa del Rey final against Sevilla.

What is clear is that Barcelona need to improve greatly after their terrible game against Real Sociedad at Anoeta. And the best solution will be having Iniesta back on the pitch. Both footballistically and in terms of morale. Since his injury the team has been in a crisis of play, solved only at times by Leo Messi.

Iniesta will return, along with Samuel Umtiti, getting medical clearance on Friday or Saturday. Certainly the coach will want to hide his hand until the last moment.