Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez said "we do what we're told" as they get ready to face Mallorca on Sunday without 17 players due to Covid and injuries.

He said: "I don't know. This isn't a question that should be asked to me. It's a question to be answered by La Liga and its president. Those with decision power in this competition. We are here to do what we're told. But the fact is that we are without 17 players. Eleven of them because of COVID-19. We are supposed to put on a show. The professional football league can't afford it. Neither us nor Mallorca will have their main players on the pitch. It will be a decaffeinated game. As a show and to our fans."

Many players across the Barcelona and Real Madrid squads have been isolated since Wednesday after testing positive ahead of the resumption of the Spanish league this weekend.

Barcelona players Ousmane Dembélé, Samuel Umtiti, and Gavi have Covid, the club revealed, after Jordi Alba, Alejandro Balde, Clement Lenglet, and Dani Alves were announced earlier this week as having tested positive.

It is a further setback for Barcelona going into Sunday's match at Mallorca in seventh place with the team also depleted by injuries.