Barcelona will be eager to return to winning ways and inch closer to winning the 2025/26 La Liga title when they host Espanyol at Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday evening. Hansi Flick has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Frenkie de Jong has partly resumed training after recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him in the treatment room for a few weeks. However, Pedri may be unavailable after he reported discomfort in his hamstring during the UEFA Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid earlier this week.
The Spanish international has joined Andreas Christensen (knee) and Raphinha (hamstring) on the sidelines. Additionally, Marc Bernal (ankle) remains a doubt. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Flick provided a fitness update on de Jong and discussed the possibility of handing Gavi a starting berth.
The Barcelona head coach said, “He [Frenkie de Jong] has to take it step by step. The next step is tomorrow, and we’ll see how he’s feeling after today’s training session. We’ll decide tomorrow. The next step will be on Tuesday. We have to wait until tomorrow. If he’s fit, he’ll be on the bench.”
“He [Gavi] is a good option to start with tomorrow. We’ll see if he can play the full 90 minutes or not. We have to take it one step at a time. He played 45 minutes on Wednesday and I think he’s ready to start.”
Joan Garcia is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Barcelona lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Espanyol on Saturday. The backline will feature Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, and Alejandro Balde.
As for the midfield unit, Gavi will line up alongside Eric Garcia in the double pivot, with Fermin Lopez reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Ferran Torres will replace Robert Lewandowski as the central striker, with Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo being the two wide attackers. So, Lewandowski, Marcus Rashford, Marc Casado, and Gerard Martin will be among the backup options on the bench for the home side.
Predicted Barcelona XI: Joan Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Balde; Eric Garcia, Gavi; Yamal, Fermin Lopez, OImo; Ferran Torres
