Raphinha will return to the Barcelona starting lineup when they take on Villarreal at Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday.
Barcelona will aim to go into the winter break by continuing the excellent winning run when they lock horns with Villarreal at Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday evening. Hansi Flick has a new injury concern to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Flick has been sweating over Pedri’s fitness after he missed training on Friday due to a calf strain. The Spanish international has joined Gavi (knee) and Dani Olmo (shoulder) in the treatment room. Additionally, Ronald Araujo remains unavailable due to a mental health break.
However, Robert Lewandowski is fit and available to take on Villarreal this weekend. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Flick provided fitness updates on Pedri and Lewandowski.
The Barcelona manager said, “Pedri is not available. That’s part of football. He’s injured and we hope he’ll be ready for the next game. He has a quadriceps issue. Maybe he could play on Sunday, but it would be too much of a risk. We have to look after him. He’s training and receiving treatment. We don’t want to take risks. We’ll need him later on.”
“Everyone is ready, with the right attitude and eager to play. I believe in the quality of my team. Lewandowski is ready to play. He’s fine, ready to play, and an option for tomorrow. We didn’t want to take any risks [in Copa del Rey] and now he’s available. That’s good news.”
Flick also took some time to praise Marco Casado for his versatility and character. The Barcelona boss said, “He can play as a full-back, but for me he’s more of a ‘6’ or ‘8’. It’s important to have players who can play in this position. Maybe he’s not so happy with the minutes he’s getting, but this is Barca.”
Joan Garcia will replace Marc-Andre ter Stegen between the sticks, with Barcelona lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Villarreal on Sunday. The backline will feature Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, and Alejandro Balde.
As for the midfield unit, Marc Casado will line up alongside Frenkie de Jong in the double pivot, with Fermin Lopez reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Ferran Torres will lead the line for the away side against Villarreal, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal being the two wide attackers.
Predicted Barcelona XI: Joan Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martin, Balde; de Jong, Eric Garcia; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; Torres