Mirotic can debut in Berlin

Mirotic can debut in Berlin

The blaugrana seek to extend the streak against an irregular ALBA

BARCELONA, Nov. 30 (EUROPA PRESS) -

Barça visits ALBA Berlin this Thursday at the Mercedes-Benz Arena (6:30 p.m.) on matchday 11 of the Regular Phase of the Euroleague with the great novelty of a Nikola Mirotic who, after overcoming his long Achilles tendon injury, could make their debut this season against an opponent who arrives at the wrong time for the clash.

If Sarunas Jasikevicius takes Nikola Mirotic to Berlin, it's not for him to visit the wall or try the 'currywurst'. The Spanish-Montenegrin ended last season with discomfort in that tendon and in the summer his long-term absence was confirmed, which could come to an end, although with his feet on the ground.

"He will travel to Berlin and we will decide there. He is training and is fit to play. It will be a last-minute decision. Right now we have to be patient with him, he is doing his own pre-season. We need him, but we must not go crazy" , pointed out the Blaugrana coach in the preview of this duel.

In the absence of knowing whether or not that debut will come in Berlin, the truth is that Barça would not be complete even if Mirotic played because neither Álex Abrines, with low back pain, nor Sertaç Sanli, with knee discomfort, will be at the Mercedes-Benz Arena right.

The rest will look for the eighth victory of the campaign to try to improve the current third position, and thus extend a good dynamic that already extends to five victories in the last six rounds (the only defeat on the track of the current double champion Anadolu Efes).

The last day, Barça ended with a victory over Cazoo Baskonia (96-84), in a duel 'done in the acb' that fell to the Catalan side. The best was Jan Vesely, with a PIR of 27. The Czech, called to be the alternative star to Mirotic, begins to materialize now that the return of the Spanish-Montenegrin is about to fall.

For its part, ALBA Berlin started this Euroleague with three consecutive wins but has lost seven consecutive games. Barça would do well to control Jaleen Smith (13.9 points), Tamir Blatt (10.3) or the giant Christ Koumadje (2.23 meters, with an average of 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds), some of the most important rivals in the German team.

DAWN BERLIN: Blatt, Smith, Zoosman, Schneider and Koumadje --possible starting quintet--; Lo, Procida, Delow, Wetzell, Rapieque, Sikma and Lammers.

BARÇA: Laprovittola, Satoransky, Kalinic, Vesely y Tobey --possible quinteto initial--; Da Silva, Higgins, Kuric, Jokubaitis, Nnaji and Mirotic.

-- ARBITRATOR: Javor, Vyklicky and Obrknezevic.

--PAVILLION: Mercedes-Benz Arena.