Barcelona are back in La Liga action on Saturday after a intense week that has brought a Copa del Rey final win and a dramatic 3-3 draw against Inter in the Champions League.
Yet there’s no let-up for Barcelona as they need to win to maintain their title charge in the final weeks of the league campaign.
Hansi Flick may well be tempted to tinker with his line-up a little, although major changes seem unlikely with the title still up for grabs.
Let’s look at how Barcelona might line up at the Estadio José Zorrilla on Saturday night.
Defence
Fc Barcelona V Atletico De Madrid - La Liga Ea Sports Photo By Javier Borrego/Europa Press via Getty Images
Flick has problems in defence as Jules Kounde is out and will miss the next few weeks with a hamstring injury. Alejandro Balde might be back for this game but may have to content himself with a place on the bench.
Hector Fort and Eric Garcia look the most likely options to start at right-back, while Andreas Christensen could see some more minutes off the bench again after featuring against Inter in midweek.
Wojciech Szczęsny should continue in goal although Marc-Andre ter Stegen is an option now he’s fit again. Flick has hinted he could see some minutes in La Liga before the end of the campaign but it’s not clear when that will happen.
Midfield
Atletico de Madrid v FC Barcelona - La Liga EA Sports Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Gavi could go back into the starting XI against Real Valladolid in a bid to freshen things up, allowing Frenkie de Jong or Pedri a break. Dani Olmo also seems likely to sit this one out which could be good news for Fermin Lopez.
Attack
FC Barcelona v FC Internazionale Milano - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg Photo by Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Robert Lewandowski remains on the sidelines and it will be interesting to see if Flick gives any of his attackers a rest on Saturday. Ansu Fati and Pau Victor are the two players who will be champing at the bit for a start if the German boss does decide to rotate.
Lamine Yamal could potentially get a rare breather against Valladolid. The teenager looked to have picked up a niggle in the warm-up against Inter but went on to play the whole game, reportedly after a pain-killing injection.
Yet Flick has been reluctant to rest Yamal all season long and may not want to be without the teenager after his masterclass in midweek that earned rave reviews.
Possible XI: Szczesny; Garcia, Cubarsí, Araujo, Martín; Gavi, Pedri; Yamal, Lopez, Raphinha; Ferran (4-2-3-1)
How do you think Barcelona should line up against Real Valladolid? Let us know your thoughts, predictions and teams in the comments below!