There is no doubt about the line-up that Hansi Flick will field for the second leg of the last-16 tie against Benfica, with all of his regulars available except for Pau Cubarsi, who will miss out due to the red card he received in the first leg in Lisbon. Ronald Araujo will take over in defense, alongside Iñigo Martínez, while Eric García will be a substitute.
The rest of the squad is the same as the one that played the first leg at the Estadio da Luz, meaning there will be no changes or rotations. In addition, the team has not suffered any injuries or unexpected incidents, and the match against Osasuna was called off this week due to suspension.
According to information from the Spanish newspaper ‘‘El Nacional‘‘, this news could be disappointing for some players who were hoping to get a chance to feature in this match, such as Marc Casado, who has lost his place as a starter after a great start to the season. Previously, he was compared to Sergio Busquets, being considered a potential successor, but in crucial moments, Flick opted to rely on the more experienced Frenkie de Jong.
However, the player who is most disappointed is Gavi, who cannot hide his dissatisfaction with his current situation. Gavi used to be a regular in the squad, playing in almost every match, but things changed after a serious knee injury kept him out for several months. Despite his return, he has been unable to regain his previous level due to the lack of continuity and minutes he needed to perform at his best.
Flick briefly gave Gavi a leadership role, but ultimately chose to drop him from the starting lineup, preferring to rely on Dani Olmo and Pedri González as the masterminds of Barcelona’s midfield.
It is clear that both Gavi and Casado are not satisfied with their current roles at Barcelona, and it seems that they have begun to seriously consider their future options. Neither of them has ruled out the idea of leaving the club in the near future.
They have already received several offers to leave, as they still have multiple major clubs interested in their services.