Late blow for Barcelona as key player ruled out of Copa del Rey clash with Barbastro due to injury

Originally posted on Football Espana | By John Menzies | Last updated 1/7/24

Ahead of Sunday evening’s Copa del Rey clash with fourth-tier side Barbastro, Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has announced his matchday squad for the fixture.

It sees the return of Inigo Martinez, who has been out since the start of December due to injury. The veteran centre-back has been a big miss for Barcelona, and his return comes at a good time, considering next week’s Spanish Super Cup in Riyadh.

Youngsters Marc Casado, Pau Cubarsi, Aron Yaakobishvili, Pau Victor and Hector Fort are also included in the squad, but a big blow for Barcelona is that Alejandro Balde has missed out. The left-back missed training on Saturday, and he has failed to recover in time to make the trip to Barbastro.

Squad list for #BarbastroBarça pic.twitter.com/jVRzk6ZTCe

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 7, 2024

With Joao Cancelo and Marcos Alonso also out due to injury, it means that Barcelona do not have a recognised left-back in their squad for the match. Martinez could fill in there if required, as could Cubarsi, but it’s certainly not ideal for Xavi, especially with the Spanish Super Cup on the horizon.

This article first appeared on Football Espana and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: