Fermin Lopez and Pau Cubarsi will return to the Barcelona starting lineup against Atletico Madrid at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Saturday.
Barcelona will be eager to return to winning ways and avoid conceding the top spot in La Liga when they welcome Atletico Madrid to Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Saturday night. Hansi Flick has a new injury concern that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Lamine Yamal is the latest absentee after picking up an ankle injury last weekend. The teenage Spanish sensation has joined Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal on the sidelines, with the duo recovering from long-term knee issues.
However, there is some good news, with Andreas Christensen and Ansu Fati closing in on returning to action, although Saturday’s game has come too soon for the duo. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Flick provided a team news update on Christensen and Yamal.
The Barcelona manager said, “We have to accept this injury and that he [Yamal] is not available. We have several options to replace him but we haven’t decided yet. Christensen won’t be on the list tomorrow.”
Flick also addressed his decision to give his player two days off, saying, “Sometimes you make these decisions, when we look back we had no rest. We needed to clear our heads and we think it was a good decision. We’ve been training very well since then, so I think it was a good decision.”
Inaki Pena will continue deputising for Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks, with Barcelona lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Atletico Madrid on Saturday. The backline should feature Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, and Alejandro Balde, with Cubarsi replacing Eric Garcia.
Yamal’s replacement will be the only other change, with Fermin Lopez coming into the starting lineup. The Spaniard will join Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski in the final third. Finally, Marc Casado and Pedri should pair up in the double pivot, with Gavi and Frenkie de Jong missing out.
Predicted Barcelona XI: Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Olmo, Fermin Lopez, Raphinha; Lewandowski
