ARDA Turan has been handed his first start for Barcelona in tonight's Copa del Rey clash at home to Catalan rivals, Espanyol.
The 28-year-old Turkey international joined from Atletico Madrid in the summer but has only just been registered due to the Spanish champions' transfer ban.Aleix Vidal, who moved to Camp Nou in an €18 million (£13.2m) deal from Sevilla in June, was also registered earlier this week and is named on Luis Enrique's bench.
Turan's inclusion in the starting XI is one of just two changes Barca make following on from Saturday's 0-0 draw away to the same opponents, that time in La Liga.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen replaces Claudio Bravo, as is usual in cup games, while Ivan Rakitic drops to the bench in favour of Turan, perhaps hinting at the major casualty from Turan's eligibility.
TEAM NEWS IN FULL:
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Iniesta, Turan; Messi, Neymar, Suarez. Subs: Masip, Rakitic, Bartra, Munir, Aleix Vidal, Vermaelen and Mathieu.
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