Barcelona's bid to retain their UEFA Champions League crown has been handed a fitness fillip with the news Xavi and Dani Alves have both been included in Pep Guardiola's squad for Tuesday night's game with Stuttgart.
Neither of the influential duo have been given the medical all-clear to return to action as yet but both could play a part in midweek.
Full-back Alves had been absent for a month due to a calf problem while Xavi picked up a thigh injury during last weekend's defeat to Atletico Madrid that had been expected to keep the Spain international out for around 15 days.
However, both players have been named in a 20-man travelling party for the trip to Germany for the first leg of Barca's last-16 clash with Stuttgart.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was a late withdrawal at the weekend with an ankle injury, has also been included along with young duo Jonathan dos Santos and Marc Bartra, but injured pair Seydou Keita and Eric Abidal are missing.
Barcelona made light of their injury concerns on Saturday in the league as they thumped Racing Santander 4-0.
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