Tito Vilanova will be looking to rest as many players as he can afford with a big Champions League second leg match against PSG coming on Wednesday. The most likely candidates for starting on the bench are Xavi, Jordi Alba and Pedro as all three have been dealing with muscle injuries over the past couple weeks.
Barcelona vs. Mallorca: Preview and TV schedule
As Barcelona’s injury list expands, the decisions on who to start and who to rest are getting a bit trickier for Tito Vilanova.
Young defender Marc Bartra is expected to start alongside Gerard Piqúe with both Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano sidelined with knee injuries.
More from our team blogs: FC Barcelona blog Barca Blaugranes
Despite all the issues, it’s hard to see Barcelona slipping up in this match. The Blaugrana have won ten straight league matches at home, while Mallorca have only won twice on the road in their last 16 matches. Mallorca have also conceded 32 goals on the road this season, second most in the league behind only Depor.
Mallorca, who sit in 19th place, are desperate for points and will have a tall task ahead of them to get them off Barca at the Camp Nou. Head coach Gregorio Manzano will have both Pedro Bigas and Kevin Garcia back for this game.
Barcelona injuries and suspensions
Out: Lionel Messi (hamstring), Victor Valdés (suspended), Adriano (hamstring). Carles Puyol (knee), Javier Mascherano (knee). In doubt: Xavi Hernandez (hamstring), Jordi Alba (hamstring), Pedro Rodriguez (calf),
Mallorca injuries and suspensions
Out: Pedro Geromel (suspended), Antonio López (knee), João Victor (knee), Ángel Javier (hamstring).
It's a regular MASH unit for Barcelona at the moment. Puyol and Mascherano are out with long term knee injuries, while Pedro is still trying to overcome calf issues and likely won't play. Lionel Messi is out for at least this match after tweaking his hamstring against PSG. Xavi and Jordi Alba both played against PSG but could be rested since they've been dealing with hamstring problem as well. Mallorca's only new missing player is Pedro Geromel who is serving a one-match ban for card accumulation.
Match Date/Time: 10 p.m. local, 4 p.m. ET
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
TV: beIN Sport USA (U.S.), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.)
More in Soccer:
See More:
