Barcelona travel to Albacete for a Copa del Rey quarter-final at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte this week, with the LaLiga champions looking to avoid an upset against the second-tier outfit.
Hansi Flick’s side arrive in Castilla-La Mancha as league leaders, having collected 55 points from their opening 22 league fixtures to edge ahead of Real Madrid in a tight title race.
Barça have taken four wins from their last five games in all competitions, their latest outing a 3–1 success away to Elche in which Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford all found the net.
Barcelona team news
Raphinha has been ruled out of the trip after sustaining an issue in the adductor region of his right leg, with the club’s medical update indicating the Brazilian is expected to be sidelined for roughly a week as a precaution. The winger was forced off at half-time in the victory over Elche, prompting further assessment that confirmed he would not feature in the quarter-final.
Long-term injury victim Gavi remains unavailable following knee surgery, while Pedri is still recovering from a hamstring problem, although the midfielder is being tipped to return to action later in February. Andreas Christensen is also missing due to a cruciate ligament injury, further limiting Hansi Flick’s defensive options.
There is better news in defence, with Jules Koundé having come through recent scares and being declared fit, even if the coaching staff are expected to rotate heavily with the schedule in mind.
Barcelona predicted lineup
Possible Barcelona starting XI: Garcia; Balde, Garcia, Cubarsi, Kounde; Lopez, Bernal, Olmo; Rashford, Torres, Yamal
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Tuesday, 3rd February.
How to watch Albacete vs Barcelona?
For viewers in the United Kingdom, the tie will be broadcast live on Premier Sports 1.
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