Barcelona faces selection questions ahead of Villarreal, and barcelona hoy must solve them after confirmation that Frenkie de Jong will miss five to six weeks with a right leg hamstring tear.
Hansi Flick will turn to his squad for a replacement, with Marc Bernal emerging as the leading candidate after four months of carefully managed reintroduction and strong performances.
Bernal is expected to pair with Pedri, who returns to the starting eleven after a brief appearance against Levante UD and is projected to play around 60 minutes.
Fermín López is also in contention to complete the midfield after an outstanding second half against Levante capped by a goal, a display that suggested better form than Dani Olmo.
In attack, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal hold secured positions, while Ferran Torres could edge ahead of Robert Lewandowski for the central forward role despite recent struggles in front of goal.
Defence Availability And Team Balance
Gerard Martín is suspended, which leaves Eric García as the most likely partner for Marc Cubarsí in central defence for the Villarreal match.
Eric García was sent off in the first leg of the Copa del Rey and will miss Tuesday’s second leg against Atlético Madrid, a circumstance that ensures his availability for the upcoming LaLiga fixture.
Alejandro Balde is tipped to regain his starting role at left back despite João Cancelo’s impressive showing in the previous match, while Jules Koundé is expected to operate at right back.
Joan García is named as the likely goalkeeper, and the overall selection aims to balance recent form, suspensions and managed minutes for returning players.
