Yellow alert in Barça´s midfield

The azulgrana team could be without Frenkie de Jong and Marc Casadó for the match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a key game for the team´s aspirations in the Champions League.

Only three midfielders available

This Wednesday, Barça will play the fourth match of the group stage against Bruges. Although changes are expected in the lineup compared to the last league match, Hansi Flick has a very limited margin in the midfield, where he only has three players in optimal condition: De Jong, Casadó, and Bernal.

Both the Dutchman and the Catalan, who are expected to start again, are on the verge of suspension. If either of them receives a yellow card, the German coach would lose two key players for the visit to London, further depleting the azulgrana´s creative zone.

At risk of suspension

De Jong and Casadó are the only Barça players in this situation. Both received a yellow card in the first two matches of the competition, against Newcastle and PSG. If they are cautioned again against Bruges, they will miss the match against Chelsea on November 25, a clash that could be decisive in the fight to enter the top 8 of the Champions.

Flick manages Bernal´s minutes

The third option available for the German coach is Marc Bernal. However, Flick is acting cautiously regarding the player from Berga, who spent a whole year without playing after suffering a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. In the current season, the midfielder has barely accumulated 30 minutes of play, spread over three different matches.

Pedri´s doubt

On the other hand, Pedri is not completely ruled out, but his participation in the London match seems complicated. The Canary player is dealing with a hamstring injury, more severe than initially estimated, which will keep him off the pitch for three to four weeks. His presence against the ‘Blues’ remains uncertain.