Inconsistent has dogged Barcelona all season long, but injuries are now the primary concern for head coach Xavi ahead of a busy run of fixtures.
The Catalan giants are eight points off the pace in La Liga, are already out of the Copa del Rey after a crushing loss at Athletic Club, and are not regarded as favourites to win this season’s Champions League, despite a creditable draw against Napoli in the first leg of their round of 16 tie.
With Mallorca the next visitors to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys Stadium – Barca’s temporary home while Camp Nou is renovated – there could be a number of regulars watching on from the sidelines.
Balde will play no further part in Barcelona’s season / Fran Santiago/GettyImages
The good news for Barcelona is that their fresh injury concerns haven’t affected their backline – but their are still absentees.
Alejandro Balde is missing for the remainder of the season with a tendon issue, while Marcos Alonso is not scheduled to return until the end of March because of a back complaint.
Ronald Araujo is suspended for this encounter, forcing Xavi into reshuffling his cente
Midfielders
Frenkie de Jong suffered an ankle injury against Athletic Club / Soccrates Images/GettyImages
Barcelona were dealt a major injury blow against Athletic Club with the early departures of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
The former has been riddled with injuries for the best part of three years, spending nine different spells on the sidelines to miss around 75 matches in all competitions. The Spaniard’s biggest concern is his inability to overcome hamstring injuries – his latest complaint is the sixth time he’s been ruled out with an issue in that department.
As for De Jong, he was stretchered off against Athletic after suffering a nasty-looking ankle injury – one Xavi fears might be serious – and subsequently left the stadium on crutches while wearing a protective boot. A return to action in April is the current expected timeline, ruling the Manchester United-linked midfielder out of a number of Barca’s upcoming games.
Gavi is also out for the season after undergoing surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Ferran Torres (middle) alongside fellow injured teammates Marcos Alonso and Gavi / Eric Alonso/GettyImages
One slice of good news is that Ferran Torres is only rated as doubtful, with his recovery from a thigh injury almost complete.
It’s unlikely he’d start the game anyway, owing to Robert Lewandowski’s recent return to form, but an appearance on the bench would boost Barcelona’s attacking arsenal if they find themselves struggling to break down Mallorca’s defence.
Mallorca are sitting 15th in La Liga, making Barca heavy favourites, but are also surprise Copa del Rey finalists – they will face Athletic Club on April 6 looking to win the competition for only the second time in their history.
Barcelona players missing for Mallorca match
Player
Absence
Marcos Alonso
Out
Alejandro Balde
Out
Pedri
Out
Frenkie de Jong
Out
Gavi
Out
Ferran Torres
Doubt
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