Depleted Barcelona eyeing Elche test
Barcelona will look to recover from their 2-1 El Clasico defeat by Real Madrid when it hosts Elche in LaLiga on Monday, but it will do so without midfielder Pedri, who is set to miss several weeks due to a leg muscle injury.
The Catalan club, second in the standings and trailing leader Real Madrid by five points, has been hit hard by injuries this season.
Manager Hansi Flick faces a mounting challenge as Pedri's absence adds to a lengthy list of sidelined players, including Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and goalkeepers Joan Garcia and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Teenager Lamine Yamal, who recently returned from rehabilitation, is also struggling with a lingering groin issue, while other key players like Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Alejandro Balde, and Fermin Lopez have faced injury setbacks.
Barcelona has had 15 players unavailable since the campaign began.
Elche, eighth in the standings with 14 points from 10 matches, is coming off a three-match winless streak but remains one of the season's surprise packages. It is two points off the European qualification spots and could capitalise on Barcelona's injury crisis.
Real Madrid, under manager Xabi Alonso, will host struggling Valencia on Saturday. Madrid has enjoyed an excellent run, winning 12 of their 13 matches across all competitions this season.
However, tensions have arisen after Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr's visible frustration at being substituted during last week's El Clasico. The player issued an apology but notably omitted any mention of Alonso, fuelling speculation about a rift.
Alonso addressed the matter, stating, "These are things we will handle internally."
With a Champions League clash against Liverpool scheduled for Wednesday, Alonso may rotate his squad for the weekend fixture.
Valencia, 18th in LaLiga with nine points, is winless in nearly six weeks and is already in a fight to avoid relegation.
Elsewhere, third-placed Villarreal hosts Rayo Vallecano, while fourth-placed Atletico Madrid welcomes Sevilla to the Metropolitano Stadium. Both teams will look to close the gap on the top two.
