FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick will make two huge adjustments to his beginning line up, plus a tactical system change, when his males host Actual Valladolid on the Montjuic Stadium in La Liga on Saturday.
Flick is reeling from the lack of teenage defensive midfielder Marc Bernal, who pulled up in stoppage time of the Blaugrana’s final outing – a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano – with an ACL rupture.
He’s anticipated to overlook the remainder of the season, after beginning all three wins for his boyhood membership in 2024/2025 so far.
“Within the Rayo recreation Bernal did splendidly, we’re going to miss him,” Flick lamented at a prematch press convention on Friday.
“It is unimaginable the sport he has at 17 years outdated, the concepts. After I’ve rewatched the final three video games, what Marc does is unimaginable. We’ll see how we substitute him, however I am pleased with what we now have.”
Turning into the primary Barca supervisor to win the opening three video games of a season since Ernesto Valverde within the title-clinching marketing campaign of 2018/2019, Flick performed down speak that he’s the person of the second.
“It isn’t my job to speak about me, it isn’t about that. What I can say and see with the remainder of my workers is that there’s a very particular environment, an excellent mentality,” he defined.
“I really like the Spanish gamers I’ve labored with, in Munich and right here. They’ve an ideal mentality. What I see after beating Rayo and after Marc’s damage… I’ve seen the assist of the remainder of the group for Marc, how united they’re.
Flick stated that this has made him “proud”. “Perspective, teamwork, I really like that. We’ll solely win like this, working in unison, in assault and protection. Extra issues will occur throughout the season…,” he predicted.
Throughout the identical press convention, Flick talked about Marc Casado as a possible substitute for Bernal and he’ll instantly be introduced into the facet in a reshuffled 4-1-2-3.
Casado sits in entrance of a again line of Alejandro Balde, Inigo Martinez, Pau Cubarsi and Jules Kounde, and behind a extra superior midfield partnership of Pedri and Dani Olmo who have been implausible within the second half at Rayo.
Ferran Torres is benched to not directly make approach for Olmo. Up high, it’s Raphinha and Lamine Yamal to the left and proper of striker Robert Lewandowski, whereas goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen captains the facet.
FC Barcelona First XI Vs. Actual Valladolid: Ter Stegen; Balde, Inigo, Cubarsi, Kounde; Casado; Olmo, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Lamine