Barcelona have the chance to restore their place at the summit of La Liga on Saturday when they host Catalan rivals Girona.
With Real Madrid not in action against Getafe until Sunday, victory for Barça against Girona will see them leapfrog their fierce adversaries ahead of next weekend’s Clásico. However, they must bounce back from disappointing defeats against Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain to claim maximum points at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Injuries threaten to make a routine victory more challenging this weekend, with absentees in the final third blunting Barça’s attacking threat. Fortunately, they’re facing one of the division’s worst sides at both ends of the pitch this season.
Here’s how Hansi Flick could line his injury-stricken side up.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Girona (4-2-3-1)
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny—The Poland international continues in place of the injured Joan García and Marc-André ter Stegen. He made vital saves against Sevilla to prevent an embarrassing 4–1 defeat becoming an infamous humiliation.
RB: Jules Koundé—36-year-old former Barça forward Alexis Sánchez proved a surprisingly difficult assignment for Koundé, who will be aiming to produce a sharper performance against Girona than he did in Seville.
CB: Ronald Araújo—Araújo only lasted until half time in the defeat at Sevilla after conceding a first-half penalty, but should retain his place in the starting lineup. He will be well-rested after not featuring for Uruguay over the international period.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—Cubarsí played one of Spain’s two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and was usefully benched against Bulgaria in La Roja’s second outing. He will partner Araújo having failed to keep a clean sheet for Barça since mid-September.
LB: Alejandro Balde—Balde’s minutes have been managed on his return from injury, but he did feature from the bench against PSG and Sevilla. He will earn a first start since the end of August this weekend.
DM: Frenkie de Jong—De Jong will want to celebrate his new long-term Barça contract with victory against Girona. He might be slightly fatigued after featuring for the Netherlands against Finland and Malta.
DM: Marc Casadó—With injuries further up the pitch, Flick will be forced to reshuffle his midfield. Casadó, who has started just three La Liga games this term, should benefit and start by lining up in the double pivot.
RW: Roony Bardghji—Lamine Yamal is available this weekend but reports from Spain suggests Barça will use him from the bench in a bid to keep him safe ahead of next weekend’s clash with Real Madrid. Bardghji should line up in his place.
AM: Pedri—With Dani Olmo and Gavi injured, Pedri will be tasked with leading Barcelona’s midfield. The Spaniard is so often the decisive factor for the Catalan giants, orchestrating the play with his supreme passing and technical prowess.
LW: Fermín López—The 22-year-old will return from injury against Girona and could feature on the left wing. Raphinha is closing in on a return but is not ready to start, while Marcus Rashford will play up front due to injuries.
ST: Marcus Rashford—Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres suffered injuries over the international period as the ’FIFA Virus’ struck again, with the in-form Rashford asked to step in for the duo this weekend.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Girona: Rashford Leads Injury-Hit Forward Line.