Ronald Araujo and Marc Casado will return to the Barcelona starting lineup against CA Osasuna at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Saturday.
Barcelona will aim to widen the gap to Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid atop La Liga when they welcome CA Osasuna to Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Saturday night. Hansi Flick has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Flick continues to sweat over Gavi’s availability, with the Spanish international missing the last two games due to illness. Meanwhile, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are long-term absentees due to knee injuries, although the former is closing in on returning.
However, there is some good news, with Andreas Christensen regaining fitness in the last few days. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Flick addressed questions about possible rotations ahead of the second leg against SL Benfica in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
The Barcelona manager said, “We haven’t decided yet, but we have to make rotations. We will put the best team on the pitch. We’ve managed it well and we’ll do it again tomorrow. The important thing is to be able to put out the best possible team on the pitch. Now we have a different level of how the team plays. I’m positive for tomorrow’s game.”
Meanwhile, Flick also spoke about possible rest for Pedri amid his excessive game time, saying, “We will see him tomorrow. He is very professional and his attitude is incredible. He is recovering well after the games and he is training well, at a high level. You can see it on the pitch. He plays the way he trains. He gives us a lot of strength in that position, but we have to think about the future. We will decide tomorrow.”
Wojciech Szczesny will retain his spot between the sticks, with Barcelona lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against CA Osasuna on Saturday. The backline should feature Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, and Alejandro Balde.
As for the midfield unit, Marc Casado should replace Frenkie de Jong as Pedri’s partner in the double pivot, although Fermin Lopez is an option if Flick wants to rotate his troops. Dani Olmo will likely reprise the no. 10 role, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal being the two wide attackers. Finally, Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for the home side, with Ferran Torres being the alternative to the Polish striker.
Barcelona vs Osasuna Predicted XI
Predicted Barcelona XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski