Why aren’t Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres playing today for Barcelona vs. Slavia Praha in the Champions League?
Even though Hansi Flick appeared to have restored Barcelona to top form, they suffered a setback against Real Sociedad, losing their most recent LaLiga match. Now, they aim to prevent slipping into a slump by securing a win against Slavia Praha in today’s Champions League showdown. However, the Blaugranas will confront a tough challenge without Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres leading their attack.
Ahead of today’s match against Slavia Praha, Flick will not be able to count on Lamine Yamal. Despite being in full physical condition, he is ruled out due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Alongside the absence of the 18-year-old star, Ferran Torres will also miss the game after suffering hamstring issues in the after the latest game against Real Sociedad. As a result, the Blaugranas will be forced to make changes to their lineup.
While the absences of Lamine and Ferran could impact Barcelona, they have shown they have players capable of stepping up. For this reason, coach Hansi Flick will turn to Robert Lewandowski and Roony Bardghji. In addition, the return of Raphinha will be the most decisive factor, as he has proven to be the team’s most influential player both in terms of goal-scoring and creativity.
Far from being just another game for Barcelona, they must win today’s match against Slavia Praha. With only 10 points, the Blaugranas are outside the top eight in the Champions League standings. Therefore, a defeat or draw could seriously complicate their chances of reaching the round of 16. Facing this situation, they might field their best eleven as they seek a resounding victory.
Slavia Praha lineup vs. Barcelona
Slavia Praha come into the game against Barcelona with some key absences in the team, as Dominik Javorček, Filip Horský, and Petr Ševčík are out with injuries. Given this, coach Jindřich Trpišovský will not make any significant changes to his usual lineup, pointing to Tomas Chorý as his most influential player. In addition, they are looking for their first victory in the Champions League this season.
Considering this, Slavia Praha will lineup follows:
Barcelona lineup vs. Slavia Praha
Even though Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres are the latest absentees, Barcelona won’t also count on Andres Christensen and Gavi due to injury-related issues. Nonetheless, Raphinha will start against Slavia Praha after his absence against Real Sociedad, but coach Hansi Flick may be prompted to make several changes in the lineup, betting for Roony Bardghji and Robert Lewandowski.
With this in mind, Barcelona will play as follows: