FC Barcelona have a grueling 5 matches in 12 days ahead of them starting tonight with Osasuna, the rescheduled match from 2 weeks ago when team doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia tragically passed away before the match.
Both Barca and Osasuna appealed the scheduling of tonight’s match, with players from both teams just returning from international duty, but La Liga denied the appeal the match will go on.
Included in the 5 matches are 3 La Liga matches-Osasuna, the Catalan derby with Girona FC, and Real Betis, all at home, the 2nd leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico Madrid, and the 1st leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Borussia Dortmund.It´s not just 5 matches we are talking about, its 5 difficult matches that will surely test FC Barcelona as they continue to push towards the treble.
Coach Hansi Flick will surely have his hands full as he manages squad rotation, and injuries to 2 significant players, Pau Cubarsi and Marc Casado, make it even more complicated. Cubarsi suffered an ankle sprain on international duty with Spain and Casado has been ruled out for the season with a partial team of his LCL ligament in his right knee. Cubarsi should return fairly quickly and luckily Iñigo Martinez is fit to feature against Osasuna tonight.
With Raphina and Ronald Aruajo just returning from international duty yesterday, don´t expect to see either of them in the starting IX against Osasuna, however they may feature on the bench.
Starting IX v Osasuna
Wojciech Szczesny will feature in goal with Martinez and likely Eric Garcia at centerback and Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde wide in defense. In the middle expect to see Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and likely Gavi, who wasn´t called into the Spain camp and is fresh. Up front we will certainly see Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, but who plays on the left is a question. It could be Fermin Lopez or possibly Ferran Torres.
With Girona FC coming so quickly Sunday afternoon, Flick will likely make changes shortly into the 2nd half to rest as many players as possible. Dani Olmo will certainly feature, and we may even see Pablo Torre, Ansu Fati, Hector Fort, and Pau Victor.
This is the true test of FC Barcelona´s depth and ability to manage 5 difficult matches coming straight off the international break. A lot can happen in these 12 days and Flick and Barca will show the world what they are made of leading into the final weeks of the season.