Flick Shakes Up Barcelona Squad Against Albacete: Key Rotations and Injury Updates Revealed
Barcelona pursue their Copa del Rey title defense on Tuesday evening, taking on Segunda División outfit Albacete in the quarterfinal stage.
The second-tier club, currently sitting 12th in their division, might appear unthreatening initially, but they've gained confidence from their remarkable victory over Real Madrid in the last round and have since secured three consecutive wins.
Although Barça's 4–1 triumph against Copenhagen secured their direct passage to the Champions League Round of 16, this match presents an opportunity for Hansi Flick to implement significant squad rotation. The visiting team claimed victory in La Liga over the weekend, defeating Elche 3–1 on the road.
Match Snapshot
Match Snapshot
Team News
Team News
Flick was already aware that Pedri, Gavi and Andreas Christensen would be unavailable for this cup encounter, but Barcelona received another injury setback over the weekend.
Raphinha picked up an adductor injury during Saturday's victory and faces a short spell on the treatment table. There's optimism that the Brazilian forward, who has transformed into one of the globe's most effective players under Flick's guidance, will recover in time for Barça's upcoming La Liga fixture against Mallorca on Saturday.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Albacete (4-2-3-1)
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Albacete (4-2-3-1)
GK: Joan García—García has emerged as one of Europe's premier goalkeepers, and his selection in the previous round indicates he'll feature on Tuesday evening.
RB: João Cancelo—Jules Koundé has accumulated significant playing time, making the French defender a candidate for rest this week. Cancelo was Barça's only January signing, and he might return to the first eleven here.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—Barça's young defensive talent has found stability after an initially uncertain start to the 2025–26 season. He'll probably be assigned to contain Jefté Betancor's attacking threat following his impressive display against Madrid.
CB: Gerard Martín—Martín showed promise at centre-back during preseason and should partner Cubarsí on Tuesday evening, replicating their pairing from the round of 16 clash with Racing Santander.
LB: Alejandro Balde—Flick praised Balde highly during his pre-match press briefing, and the German coach may wish to maintain the Spanish defender's attacking energy in his starting formation.
CM: Frenkie de Jong—De Jong has operated without Pedri recently, but the Dutch midfielder continues to excel in Flick's midfield setup.
CM: Marc Bernal—Following his substitute appearance against Elche, Bernal is anticipated to start on Tuesday evening.
RW: Roony Bardghji—Flick mentioned before this cup match that he must manage his players' workload carefully, and he cannot risk overusing Lamine Yamal. Bardghji has frequently impressed when given opportunities this campaign.
AM: Dani Olmo—The Spanish midfielder maintained his excellent form by providing an assist over the weekend, and he's currently preferred over Fermín López for the attacking midfield position.
LW: Marcus Rashford—This selection is straightforward for Flick given Raphinha's injury. Rashford is certain to start on the left wing, having found the net in three of his last four outings.
ST: Robert Lewandowski—Ferran Torres has established himself as Barcelona's primary striker over the past year, and he scored the opener in the previous round against Racing. Lewandowski has been rotating with the Spanish forward, and his substitute role on Saturday suggests he'll start on Tuesday evening.