Barcelona will face one of their most important matches of the season on Saturday night as they take on Atletico Madrid at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic.
Having dropped points quite frequently in the league over the past weeks, the Blaugrana have allowed Diego Simeone’s men to catch up to them in the table, with both teams level on points while the Rojiblancos even have a game in hand.
As such, there is simply no room for error for the Catalan giants when they take the field tomorrow in what will be their final match before the mid-season break.
No Hector Fort in training
However, heading into Saturday’s contest against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona may have to make do without one of their younger talents in Hector Fort.
Indeed, according to journalist Victor Navarro, the 18-year-old right-back is not training with the rest of the team today.
It raises major question marks about the teenage La Masia product’s availability for the clash against Diego Simeone’s side tomorrow.
Hector Fort not in training today. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Fort has been a regular in the first-team squad this season even though minutes have been hard to come by for the young defender.
So far this term, the 18-year-old has played ten first-team matches, accumulating a little less than 300 minutes in the process.
With Jules Kounde locking down the right-back position, it has not been easy for Fort to get a run in the team.
And while it was extremely unlikely that he would have featured against Atletico Madrid tomorrow, his availability now appears to be in doubt as he did not train with the rest of the team today.
Barcelona are already without three players through injury in Lamine Yamal, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Marc Bernal for the game.
Even though Andreas Christensen has returned to full training, it is unlikely that he will be included in the squad for the clash against Los Colchoneros.
Ansu Fati, however, could receive his medical clearance for tomorrow’s game.