As soon as the current international break is over, Barca are plunged headlong into another Champions League campaign.
Indeed, things couldn’t start off any worse than having to face their conquerors of the season before last, Bayern Munich.
The scars of that epic 8-2 annihilation have yet to heal, and, whisper it quietly, it wouldn’t be any surprise if the blaugranes get another big thumping.
In Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski, the Bavarians have three attacking players to trouble the best defences in the world, let alone one that is ‘experimental’ at this point.