Barcelona will aim to inch closer to winning the league title when they welcome RCD Mallorca to Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Tuesday night. Hansi Flick has a new injury concern that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Robert Lewandowski is the latest absentee after picking up a hamstring injury this past weekend against Celta Vigo. The veteran Polish striker has joined Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado, and Marc Bernal on the sidelines.
While Marc-Andre ter Stegen is closing in on returning from a long-term knee injury, he remains unavailable for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Flick provided a fitness update on Lewandowski and discussed his replacement.
The Barcelona manager said, “We’ll have to wait and see. When he’s available to play, we’ll all be very happy. We don’t know how long he’ll be out, so I’d rather not say anything. Ferran is in a very good moment, he’s scored ten La Liga goals. The number 9 position is his now. He’s quick, presses well, and contributes defensively. He’s in very good form, but we have to manage because we need him until the end of the season.”
Flick also spoke about ter Stegen’s recovery. The German tactician said, “He’s ready, ready. We need to talk about what we need to do. I’ll talk to him. We’ll wait a bit and decide when the best time is for him to reappear.”
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 RCD Mallorca on Tuesday. The backline should feature Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, and Gerard Martin, with Araujo replacing Inigo Martinez as Cubarsi’s central defensive partner.
As for the midfield unit, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri should pair up in the double pivot, with Gavi reprising the no. 10 role. Ferran Torres will replace Robert Lewandowski as the central striker, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal being the two wide attackers.
Predicted Barcelona XI: Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Martin; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Torres
