Rodri will make his first appearance for Barcelona in the starting lineup when they take on Valencia at the Mestalla on Sunday.
Barcelona will aim to continue the perfect start to the 2026/27 season and capitalise on the slip-ups of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid this week when they lock horns with Valencia at the Mestalla on Sunday evening. Hansi Flick has no new issues to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Roony Bardghji (ACL), Jesse Bisiwu (thigh), and Frenkie de Jong (knee) are unavailable due to long-term issues, with the trio unlikely to be available anytime soon. However, Gavi returns to the travelling squad after stepping up his recovery from a minor issue.
The group also features deadline-day arrival Gabriel Jesus, who will be in contention to make his debut for his new club. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Flick revealed whether the former Arsenal striker would feature against Valencia. The German tactician also revealed a minor fitness concern for Lamine Yamal.
The Barcelona manager said, “He [Yamal] took a knock and we thought it was better for him to train separately. But he’ll travel with us and we hope he can play against Valencia.”
“I really liked what I saw. He [Jesus] is not 100%, but he is ready to play some minutes. He could come on in the second half, but he’s definitely ready. He doesn’t get nervous in front of goal.”
“We’ll decide with Lamine whether it’s best for him to rest or not. It was important for him to play 90 minutes at home to improve his morale and get back to his best, and he played very well in the last match. You’ll see the starting eleven tomorrow.”
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 Valencia on Sunday. The backline will feature Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Andreas Christensen, and Xavi Espart.
As for the midfield unit, Rodri will replace Marc Bernal as Pedri’s partner in the double pivot, with Dani Olmo reprising the no. 10 role again. Finally, Raphinha will lead the line for the away side, with Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon being the two wide attackers. Karim Adeyemi will wait in the wings if Yamal is not ready to start, while Gabriel Jesus will make his debut off the bench.
Predicted Barcelona XI: Joan Garcia; Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Christensen, Espart; Rodri, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Gordon; Raphinha