Injuries a Problem for Barcelona as โSarabia’s Elche Visit Montjuic – Xinhua
BARCELONA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) – FC Barcelona faces a challenging fixture againstโฃ Elche with a important number ofโข players sidelined due too injury, as Hansi Flick prepares hisโข team following โa recent defeat.
Barcelona willโ host elcheโ at Montjuic Stadium โjust one week after โa 2-1 loss to Real madrid, leaving the reigning La Liga champions five points behind the league leaders.
The team’sโฃ ability to implement โฃits usual โhigh-pressing game has been hampered by injuries to key attackers โฃRaphinha andโข Robert Lewandowski, compoundedโ by Lamine Yamal’sโ continuing pelvic issue. Opposing teams have begunโข to capitalize on โคBarcelona’sโฃ vulnerabilities, exploiting a high defensive lineโฃ that hasโค conceded goals.
This week brought furtherโข injury concerns with Andreas Christensen picking up a calf problem and Pedri sustaining a โคhamstring injury expected โto keep him โout forโ approximately six weeks. Pedri would have been unavailableโ for Sunday’s match regardless, due to a suspension โฃcarried over from a โฃsending-off last week. Goalkeeper joan Garcia remains unavailable, โthough Lewandowski might potentiallyโค be fit enough to feature as a substitute. Marc โฃCasado is anticipated to fill the void left by Pedri in midfield.
hansi Flick will beโ back in the dugout after โserving a one-match suspension that forced him to watch last Sunday’s Clรกsico from the stands at the Bernabeu.
focus will also be on the Elche sideline, where Eder Sarabia has earned praise for guiding the โclub to promotion last season and establishing them in a pleasant mid-table position this campaign through a possession-focused style of play.
Notably, Sarabia previously โserved as anโค assistant coachโฃ to Quique Setien during Setien’s short tenure at Barcelona following Ernesto Valverde’s departure on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that period, Barcelona’s league position slipped from first toโ third, and โขthe team suffered an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions โleague, a time marked byโข reports of friction between the coaching staff and senior players, includingโ Lionel Messi.
Sarabia,โค known for his energetic presence on the touchline, later achieved success with Andorra before taking charge at Elche. Elche’s attacking duo of Andre Silva and Rafa โMir are expected toโค pose โขa threat to โthe Barcelona defense.