Inigo Martinez will start for Barcelona against Osasuna
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has revealed some early team news for Thursday’s La Liga clash against Osasuna.
Both Raphinha and Ronald Araujo are unavailable for the rescheduled La Liga clash because of the short turnaround following the international break.
The former played the full 90 minutes of Brazil’s 4-1 World Cup qualifying defeat by Argentina, whilst Araujo was an unused substitute for Uruguay in Bolivia on Tuesday night.
"They're out. The flight is long and it's not the most optimal situation. They have to recover and train, and then we'll see on Sunday," Flick told reporters in the pre-match press conference.
In Araujo’s absence, Flick has confirmed Inigo Martinez and Eric Garcia will be the central defensive pairing with youngster Pau Cubarsi set for a place on the bench after sustaining an ankle injury whilst on international duty with Spain.
Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong and Robert Lewandowski are available for selection after representing the Netherlands and Poland respectively, but an unhappy Flick says they have not fully recovered.
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"It's not the best situation for them. The players have played with their national teams, and that's bad," he said. "Now we have to play against Osasuna, and we have to talk about whether it's the right time. I'm not happy. There are other leagues that do it differently.
Robert Lewandowski was a second half substitute for Poland against Malta on Monday
AFP via Getty Images
"I can't change that. That's my personal opinion. But we're going to play, we're not making excuses. The team is ready and we have to strive for the best performance. We're going for it.
"The quality of the team is good and we can beat anyone, even if the players don't get the optimal rest."
Luckily for Barca, Wojciech Szczesny will be fresh having reportedly rejected the chance to play for Poland during the international break, whilst Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde, Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres are all in line to start.
Predicted Barcelona XI: Szczesny, Kounde, Eric, Martinez, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Torres; Lewandowski
Injured: Bernal, Christensen, Ter Stegen
Unavailable: Raphinha, Araujo
Time and date: 8pm GMT on Thursday March 27, 2025
Venue: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys
How to watch: Premier Sports